Key to My Heart
by Yukishiro Madoka
Summary: [CH 6] [Add Drama, Tragedy, and maybe Angst to Genre] 'I want him to be happy. I want the loneliness and the sadness in his heart to clear away. I...want him to smile. If he's smiling, I'll be smiling as well.' [SasuHina]
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Hinata and Sasuke would get together. But since they're not together, that means I _don't _own Naruto, obviously. Duhh.

A/N. Hey everyone! It's me again, back from the dead with a new story, even though -fidgets- I should have updated **Clashing Hearts**. I'm so sorry about that. -hangs head- I have writer's block on that story, but hopefully, I'll think of something soon. :) This year, I'm taking drama, so I'll have a good idea of what to write for the drama scenes. :D

Sakura isn't a female dog in this fanfic. I decided to be nice to her for once, so Sakura is nice and she's friends with Hinata and Ino. Goody. :D

Anyway, I based this story on Tsuda Masami's **The Tiger and the Chameleon**. When I first read it, I thought, "Hey, this girl (Koharu Mizumoto, the main character) reminds me of _me!" _because sadly, I'm not very attractive and mean jerks tend to point that out. T.T I'm somewhat like Hinata, and since Koharu reminded me of myself, it made me think that it was a good idea to base Hinata off of Koharu. I always thought Hinata was the ideal "shy-lonely-girl-who-gets-picked-on" person.

Then when I came across the part where Koharu blushed and stammered before/during/while introducing herself, I'm like, "Whoa! She's like Hinata! O.O" Well, there are more ways Koharu is like Hinata, but I really don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't read it. You SHOULD read it, though! It's a good short story:D

And the main character dude (I forgot his name xD) somewhat reminds me of Sasuke...a _nicer, sweeter _version of Sasuke, anyway. xD

It's not that I have to worry about flamers because I rarely get flames, but I just feel like saying this. No flames, please, but I accept constructive critizism.

Ahem...-clears throat- When I say constructive critizism, I mean regarding anything _but_ the plot of the story itself, the characters, or anything else relating to that, like "This is a cliché plot!" or "There's too much OOCness!" or "The romance is so slow! Hurry it up!" I get _**really **_annoyed when I get reviews like that, because, frankly, I don't consider that constructive critizism. I consider it a mere complaint that the person makes, hoping that I would change my story to meet their circumstances. Please don't give me any reviews like that. I'll be fine with you pointing out any grammar errors or anything like that, but please don't make any remarks, polite or not, about anything I listed above.

Also, yes, the romance is this story _**will **_be slow, just like **Clashing Hearts**, so don't ask me "Why is it taking so long for them to fall in love with each other?" or "Is this a SasuHina?" or anything like that. Really, would you think that it would be -BOOM- "I LOVE YOU, HINATA!" and "OH, I LOVE YOU, TOO, SASUKE!"?

_I don't think so._

Sorry, I don't mean to be rude and mean to those of you who _have _done that, but it just gets on my nerves. I'm happy with all of the support you guys have given me, but sometimes, I feel like banging my head whenever people ask or say the same..._annoying _things over and over. Please, cut this poor, young authoress some slack. D:

...Whewww. I'm finally done. :D Please don't feel offended by my rant up there and start flaming me for it. If you really do feel obliged to complain about it, however, you may just send me a private message.

Again, many thanks to those who supported me during the time I wrote my other SasuHina stories. Lastly, I hope you read, enjoy, and review **Key to My Heart. **:D

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Whooosh!_

A shrill hiss erupted loudly as the doors of the bus swung open. Hyuuga Hinata took off her blue-rimmed glasses, wiped the lenses quickly, and looked up. She gulped as she stared out the window, her pearl eyes wide with awe.

"I-it's huge!" Her jaw lowered and her mouth hung open in a large O as her eyes took in the large building that was Konoha Academy. The courtyard was streaming with students, who were laughing and chattering endlessly.

"Yep. Don't worry, you won't get lost," the bus driver said carelessly, glancing briefly at the school. "Been here myself years ago. Well, off you go, Hun."

"Th-thank you." Hinata smiled at the plump woman, bowed respectfully, and hobbled off, a bit queasy from the ride. She had never rode a bus to school before, but issues arose at home, and it was decided that she would take the bus to school from now on.

But the butterflies in her stomach were only partially the bus ride's fault. She was more nervous about high school. What awaited her there?

She surveyed the courtyard hesitantly, unsure of what to do at the moment. Students were flowing into the courtyard, reuniting with friends and discussing their summer and the classes they would have for the year. Hinata bit her lip anxiously, gazing around. It seemed as if she would stay there forever, biting her lip and looking around for a sign that would trigger her out of her trance. Her eyes lit up when she heard someone calling her name.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan!" Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura shouted in unison.

Hinata spotted Ino and Sakura standing on the other side of the courtyard. Ino, her blonde hair tied up into a ponytail that bounced and gleamed in the sunlight, had her hand cupped over her mouth while her other hand waved frantically in the air to catch her attention. Sakura's light pink locks danced in the breeze as she jumped up and down, waving her hand as frantically as Ino.

Hinata rushed up to them and smiled brightly. "Good morning!" she greeted softly.

"Good morning," Sakura responded, smiling happily.

"Good morning. By the way, Hinata-chan..." Ino cocked her head slightly to the side. "I never knew you took the bus."

"Um...well, something came up," Hinata explained awkwardly, "and I have to take the bus from now on..."

Ino sighed. "That's too bad. Buses aren't very pleasant transporations." Her blue orbs enlightened. "If you want, I can take you to school each morning," she offered.

Hinata shook her head and smiled. "That's all right," she reassured kindly.

"Hey, Ino-chan," Sakura called. "Let's go check our schedules!"

"Okay!" Together, the three went off to take a look at their schedules. There was a large crowd there, and it was difficult to try and squeeze through to get a close look at their schedules. Finally, Sakura managed to squirm through and read their schedules.

"Ino-chan! We're in the same class!" she proclaimed, managing to escape from the crowd.

"Great!"

"Hinata-chan, you, too!"

"Cool!" Ino beamed happily.

"I'd worry if you were alone, Hinata-chan," Sakura commented with a smile. Ino nodded in agreement.

"I'm so excited," Hinata blushed.

"Oh! We have to go to the gym when the bell rings!" Sakura said out of the blue.

"Eh? Why?" Ino asked curiously.

"There was a piece of paper next to the schedules, and it said so," Sakura said shortly. "There's going to be a school entrance ceremony."

The three girls walked out of the classroom and went back to the school courtyard. Just as they entered -

"HEY, SAKURAAAA-CHAAAAN!"

"Oh, no..." Sakura groaned and made a face, glaring at the blonde boy that was rushing up to her at that moment. "It's _Naruto..._"she mumbled under her breath.

"Is he still crushing on you?" Ino shook her head in dismay.

"Afraid so."

Uzumaki Naruto skidded to a stop in front of the three girls. "Hey, Sakura-chan!" he grinned goofily. "You're looking as cute as ever! Wanna go out on a date with me?"

"For the last time...I REFUSE TO GO OUT WITH A LOSER LIKE YOU!" Sakura's fist came crashing down on his head. "I ABSOLUTELY _REFUSE_!" Sakura screeched.

"O-owwww!" Naruto whined, holding his head, which had a very big bump on it. "Why did you do that for, Sakura-chan?"

"What part of 'I refuse to go out with a loser like you' don't you understand, Naruto?" Sakura demanded angrily.

"Uhhh..." Naruto scratched his head. "What do you mean, Sakura?"

"Arghhhh!"

Ino smirked. "I think you busted so much of his brain cells whenever you hit him," Ino remarked, "so now, he's like...just plain stupid."

"Heyyy!"

"He's always been stupid, though!" Sakura hissed to Ino.

"Owww...that's a large bump," Naruto said out loud, his hand running over the swollen skin upon his head. While Naruto was rubbing his head, he finally noticed Hinata. "Hey, Hinata-chan!" he smiled.

Hinata shrunk back and a feeble smile crept onto her lips. "Oh...h-h-hi..." she murmured quietly, the color draining out of her face. She turned and stared sadly at the ground.

Naruto rubbed his head. "Well...later, hot stuff!" he grinned at Sakura, giving her an energetic wave before leaving.

Sakura ignored him and stared at Hinata hard. She leaned towards Ino and, cupping her hand over her mouth, whispered, "Hinata-chan is acting like _that._ Again...!"

Ino nodded, frowning. "I know," she whispered back. "She started acting all strange last year after summer vacation. She's like...it's like...I don't know, it seems as if something about Naruto bothers her."

Sakura nodded. "But what could it be?" Sakura wondered. "I don't remember Naruto making her mad or anything."

"Me neither." Ino sighed.

"Should we ask?" Sakura asked, biting her lower lip anxiously.

"I guess so, but you know...I think she might say it's nothing." Ino sighed again.

It wouldn't hurt, Sakura decided. "Hinata-chan, are you okay?" Sakura called to Hinata.

"H-huh?" Hinata turned back, blinking in surprise. "O-oh...yes, yes I am," she answered quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh...you just seemed...troubled about something. You're not, are you?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"You seem really upset. You could tell us, you know," Ino said in concern.

Hinata shook her head. "I'm okay...really," she said reassuringly.

"If you say so," Sakura said doubtfully, shrugging and exchanging glances with Ino.

Hinata turned her head to stare off into the distance, feeling slightly awkward and uncomfortable in the empty silence that followed. Trying to start a conversation, she casually asked, "W-what have you two done over the summer?"

Silence.

"Ino-chan? Sakura-chan?"

Silence.

Hinata turned, startled to see that her friends were no longer there. "H-huh?" she murmured in confusion. Where could those two have gone?

Hinata squinted her eyes and scanned the crowd. When she caught the familiar glint of blonde and pink hair, she almost sighed as she immediately realized what was going on from the expressions on their faces. Dreamy, sugar-coated smiles stretched from ear to ear as stars sparkled within their eyes. That could only mean one thing.

"OH MY GOSH, IT'S SASUUUUKE-KUN!" Screams erupted from the courtyard as loudly as a mini bomb. Girls threw themselves onto a pale, dark-haired boy who had just entered the school courtyard.

"SASUKE-KUN, IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU!"

"SASUKE-KUN, PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!"

"SASUKE-KUN, YOU'RE SO COOL!"

"SASUUUUUUUUKE-KUUNN!"

Hinata sighed inwardly. Uchiha Sasuke...the perfect boy of every girl's dream. What was there to fuss about? She wasn't very interested, but she had to know. What did they see in Sasuke? She wanted to know the traits everyone loved about him so she could try to see if those traits were within herself as well.

She had asked Sakura and Ino one day, but she still couldn't see what was so great about him.

**xXxXxXx**

_"I was just wondering...why do you like Uchiha-san?" she asked nonchalantly, cocking her head to the side._

_Ino and Sakura stared at her, as if she had just asked them what color their hair was. "Are you crazy, Hinata?" Ino exclaimed._

_"You should be asking us why we _shouldn't_ like him," Sakura chimed in. "He's perfect! He's cute, athletic..." The dreamy, sappy look was starting to form upon their faces._

_"He's smart, he's cool..." Ino and Sakura started to name all of the great things about Sasuke, but usually listed the same thing that they had just said the minute before. Hinata's eyelids drooped, but she tried to stay alert and interested in what they had to say (and they had a __**LOT**__ to say) about Sasuke._

_"Oh, and did I mention that he's hot? He's sooooo cool!" Sakura squealed._

_"Totally!" Ino agreed. "I'm going to win his heart someday!" she vowed happily._

_"Excuse me?" Sakura snapped. "You win his heart? Ha! As if! That will happen the day when...when Naruto gets a brain!"_

_"Hey!" Ino growled angrily. She quickly regained her composure. "Then I'll make sure Naruto gets a brain soon!" she said smugly._

_"I don't think so!"_

_The two started to bicker and argue, and Hinata slipped away with an inward sigh._

**xXxXxXx**

Hinata stared glumly at the ground, leaning against the thick trunk of a tree. Did good-looking people always deserve attention and respect, even if they were not beautiful on the inside? Were ugly people worthless and so pathetic that they had to be denied the respect they wanted, even if their soul was pure?

Looks. That was everything, wasn't it? Everyone judged you on your looks. If you're good-looking, people like you. If you are ugly, people disregard you.

Sasuke was one of those lucky people born with a pretty face. Hinata was one of those unlucky people born with an ugly face.

People, mostly boys, always called her ugly. What was so ugly about her? She had asked herself that, and each time, she looked into a mirror or her reflection in a lake. Was it because of her glasses? Was it because of her rather short, uninteresting hair? Was it because of her sad, small mouth? Or was it because of her abnormal eyes, which were as pale as the moon in the night sky?

She couldn't find anything wrong with her. But since everyone said she was ugly, she was, indeed, ugly. Yes, she would think sadly, I _am_ ugly.

She had dorky glasses, dull hair, lifeless lips, and freaky eyes. Sadly, she could see why everyone thought she was ugly.

Ino and Sakura were her only comfort. They were her best friends...her _only _friends.

While everyone else laughed at her and called her ugly, _they _were the ones who stayed by her side. Because of that, she loved them both dearly, but they were one of the few people she truly trusted and loved. She refused to trust anyone but them because she was afraid that they would just mess with her feelings, turn everything all around, and making fun of her to gain satisfaction from her misery.

They never commented on how ugly her face was. Once, she had asked them how she looked, and they had automatically answered, "You're cute, of course!"

Hinata had believed that for a short time...that is, until the next day, a rather popular, good-looking boy came up to her and called her ugly.

Since then, she dare not believe what Sakura and Ino told her. Of course, she thought bitterly. They wouldn't tell her bluntly, "You're ugly!"

Once, she had confronted them with how she felt, way before she asked them what their opinions were on how she looked. However, she made them think that her feelings were someone else's.

_"Umm...Sakura, Ino? I need to talk to you..."_

_"Uh, sure." Sakura smiled._

_"Go ahead." Ino smiled as well._

_"Well, a friend of mine - "_

_"Who? Do we know this friend of yours?" Sakura inquired curiously._

_"U-um, no. S-she...we were childhood friends, but she moved away."_

_"Ahh, I see. Go on," Ino urged._

_Hinata took a deep breath. "W-well, people always made fun of her," she explained," even though she didn't do anything wrong. She was r-really nice...but she wasn't very attractive. She was always sad because people called her...u-ugly. What do you think would make her feel better?"_

_Sakura tapped her chin. "Wellll..." Sakura said slowly. "I guess...my advice would be that she shouldn't listen to them. I mean, the people who tease her are just a bunch of jerks, that's all. I bet she's really pretty, though, but they just want to be mean though."_

_Ino nodded. "Yeah. That's what I was going to say, too. See," she explained,"if you let people get to you like that, you won't ever love yourself. You'll keep thinking that you are what they think you are. Welll...it's kind of hard to explain," she shrugged sheepishly and smiled, "but I hope that helps your friend."_

_"I-it did." Hinata smiled. "T-thank you."_

She _had _felt better after that, but it was meaningless the following day.

Would they have any reason to call her ugly if she wasn't ugly at all? If she was beautiful, they wouldn't taunt her. It was _her _fault for being ugly..._her _fault.

How could she love herself when no one else did? It was impossible. Sakura and Ino's words had sounded so wise and true...but they just turned out to be meaningless and untruthful.

What did they know about how she felt? They were popular, well-known, and pretty. How Hinata envied them. What she wouldn't give for Sakura's large, green eyes, or Ino's light blue ones. She would do anything for the long, pretty hair that the boys sighed over. How she wished she had Sakura's cute giggle, or Ino's gorgeous smile.

Hinata sighed inwardly and her eyes deepened with sadness.

_RIIIIIIING!_

The bell's shriek drowned out the screams of Sasuke's fangirls. Without bothering to wait for Ino and Sakura (since it would take them forever to tear themselves away from the great Uchiha Sasuke,) Hinata walked glumly to the gym.

**xXxXxXx**

Even though the bell had just rung, most of the girls still did not leave him alone. Sasuke grimaced as he tried to push his way through the crowd of girls.

Dangit, he cursed inwardly. How was he supposed to escape from these clingy girls?

His eyes enlightened ever so slightly as he caught the words **BOYS' BATHROOM **upon two green doors nearby. He gathered up his strength and shoved several girls aside as he broke away and ran.

"SASUKE-KUN! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!"

_Away from you,_ he wanted to shout back at them. _What does it look like?_

"COME BACK, SASUKE-KUN!"

_No, thanks,_ he wanted to yell back.

"OOOHH, YOU'RE SO CUTE WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING HARD TO GET!"

_Ugh, give me a break, _he wanted to scoff.

However, he didn't feel like wasting any more energy on these lame girls. Summer just had to end so quickly, he thought bitterly. Now he would have to put up with them for another year...and another year...and another.

Good grief.

He pushed open the doors of the bathroom and leapt in, breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall near the first stall. He listened carefully, and to his relief, he heard sighs of disappointment and footsteps disappearing.

Good, he mused. Now, he needed to get to his classroom without being seen...

_RIIIIIIING!_

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he cursed inwardly. He was late! Curse those stupid girls!

Hopefully, the teacher would let him go. After all, it was the first day of school. However, he thought darkly as he rushed out the bathroom, this wasn't a good way to start it.

**xXxXxXx**

As the new students entered the gym, the older students and adults took their seats and gave a big round of applause. Hinata looked around, a little uncertain of what to do.

"There you are!"

Sakura and Ino rushed up to Hinata. "We've been all over the gym for you!" Sakura panted. "It was really crowded, so it was hard to find you."

Hinata smiled weakly. "I'm sorry."

"It's no problem. Just tell us where you're going before you leave next time, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Hey! The ceremony is going to start! I think we should sit down!" Ino suggested. Hinata and Sakura nodded in agreement and the three sat down in the middle row.

A blonde woman - supposedly the headmistress - stepped up and held up a hand. Gradually, the room grew quiet.

"Good morning. My name is Saionji Tsunade. I am the headmistress of Konoha High. Today, we welcome the new students. Let's give a round of applause for them, shall we?"

The audience clapped loudly and whistled. Tsunade held up her hand again to silence the auditorium. She then spoke for a few more minutes before the homeroom teachers were introduced. After that, a few of the older students made a welcoming address, encouraging the new students to have an enjoyable school year.

Hinata gulped and looked down at her wringing hands. _I…I hope this year will be…a good one. _

**xXxXxXx**

Sasuke stared at the door of the gym. Applause could be heard from within. He sighed inwardly. If he went in, he'd cause an uproar. He didn't want to deal with any more girls.

If he waited outside the gym until the ceremony was over, it wouldn't be any better. Once the girls caught sight of him, they'd chase him down.

Grudgingly, he went back to the bathroom. It was near his homeroom, anyway. When the ceremony was over and everyone was in their homerooms, only then would he come out.

He took out his wallet and withdrew a small photo. He stared at the photo and a longing smile crept along his lips.

**xXxXxXx**

_**5 Minutes Later...**_

After the raven-haired teacher in the front of the classroom took roll call, she sent a student to deliver the paper before turning to face her class.

"Good morning, class," Yuhi Kurenai proclaimed, fixing a nonchalant gaze upon her pupils. "Hmm," she paused and her lips curled into a small smile, "shall we introduce ourselves? I am Yuhi Kurenai, and I will be your math teacher this year. I see we have some familiar faces here." She smiled at those she had taught back at Kumo Middle School. Hinata smiled weakly back, somewhat reassured by Kurenai's smile.

Kurenai began to go over the classroom rules and other things that teachers go over on the first day of school. After she finished explaining everything, which only took about three minutes, she tapped her chin thoughtfully, as if wondering what she should say next. Finally, she spoke.

"Students, please stand up and introduce yourselves when I call on you."

Hinata's eyes widened in horrified shock. Oh, no...she absolutely _hated_ this kind of stuff!

Her eyes met Kurenai's crimson ones, pleading with her not to continue with this. Kurenai was a friend of the Hyuuga family, and she knew very well about Hinata's shyness. Hopefully, she wouldn't allow Hinata to do this.

Kurenai smiled reassuringly, and Hinata's heart sank as she read the look in her eyes. _I'm really sorry, but this is for your own good, Hinata._

The teacher looked straight at a pretty girl at the far end of Hinata's row. The girl's dark brown hair was tied back into two buns, and her hazel eyes clearly told everyone that she was praying for Kurenai to ignore her and pick someone else. "We shall start with you. Please introduce yourself."

The girl swallowed and stared nervously back at her.

"Come to the front of the classroom, please, and speak in a loud, clear voice."

She slowly rose to her feet and walked to the front of the classroom. She stared down at her feet. "Umm...what do I say?" she asked sheepishly.

"Whatever you wish. Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams..."

The girl shuffled her feet and swallowed again. "That's it?" she asked quietly.

"That's it, unless you wish to say more."

Hinata's eyes softened as she watched the girl fidget and swallow again. How terrifying. Hinata shivered. It was really hard for shy people like her to speak aloud like this. She felt sorry for that girl.

"Um, okay." The girl cleared her throat. "Umm...my name is Tsuda Tenten. I like...Chinese food and sesame dumplings, and I dislike pickled plums. My hobby is astrology, and my dream...well, I don't really have one yet. And...I guess that's about it." Her shoulders bobbed underneath her shirt in an embarrassed shrug.

"Thank you, Tenten." After Tenten bowed and sat back down, Kurenai called on the next person. This kept on going until she came to Hanazakari Erika, a sulking, red-haired girl next to Ino. By now, the pale-eyed Hyuuga was sweating heavily and swallowing occasionally.

Ino, who was next to Hinata, was called on. Just two more people, Hinata thought fearfully. Ino, Sakura...then it was her turn.

"Hi! I'm Yamanaka Ino. It's nice to meet you guys." The smile that Ino sometimes liked to use to dazzle people crept onto her lips. "I like tomatoes, pudding, flowers, cute guys like," her smile widened as she clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily, "Uchiha Sasuke."

Many girls mumbled under their breaths, while guys who thought Ino was pretty sighed glumly under their breath.

"I dislike bugs, the color pink," she ignored the glare Sakura shot her," spicy foods, and annoying people. My hobby is ikebana and shopping. My dream is...to become Uchiha Ino!"

_KABOOM._

Several people fell out of seats, the way people would fall when they're struck silly with something lame.

Ino laughed. "Just kidding." _Not really_. "My dream is...I guess to hone my _ikebana_ skills and," her eyes enlightened, "to help shy people gain more confidence!" she finished rather seriously.

Hinata's eyes enlarged behind her blue-rimmed glasses.

"Thank you. You may sit down," Kurenai nodded. After Ino bowed, she walked down the aisle and flashed Hinata a reassuring smile before taking her seat. Hinata smiled back. It was times like these that she truly appreciated her friendship with Ino.

Sakura made her way to the front and fixed her green eyes upon her classmates. She smiled brightly. "Hi. My name is Haruno Sakura. I like syrup-coated dumplings, pickled ume fruits, and..." Here, she paused to hold her hands to her cheeks in an attempt to hide her blush. She giggled dreamily. "Uchiha Sasuke!"

There was an uproar from the girls again, and Sakura's admirers banged their heads on their desk in defeat. Naruto mumbled under his breath, "It's always about Sasuke! Grrr...that stupid bas - "

"I hate spicy foods, bugs," Sakura continued on, "frogs, and," immediately, Sakura's sugar-coated smile disappeared, and her sparkly eyes turned to angry slits, "Uzumaki Naruto!"

"GAH!"

_KERPLOP._

Naruto fell out of his seat. "Nooooo," he moaned, writhing and rolling around on the floor and clutching his head. "She hates me! Whyyyy?"

Ignoring him, Sakura sighed and went on hurriedly. "My hobby is memorizing things..."

**"...AND BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF NARUTO!"** Inner Sakura cut in, punching the air with her large fists. **"OH, YEAHHH!"**

"My dream is to," she proclaimed happily, instantly blushing yet again, "steal Sasuke's heart!"

The class groaned. What a typical dream.

Naruto banged his head on his desk. "Noooo..." he moaned again. "Why doesn't she want to steal _my_ heart? It's not faiiirr..."

"Umm...another dream I have is to become a doctor and help sick people...I guess." Sakura shrugged ruefully. "And I think I might want to become a matchmaker someday...you know, getting people together!" The pink-haired girl grinned to emphasize her giddiness.

Silence. Stares.

Sakura's smile wavered. "W-well..." she stammered. She brightened again. "It's the love of a lifetime, y'know!" she giggled.

**"CHYEAH!"** Inner Sakura hooted.

"Umm...thank you, Sakura." Kurenai tried to smile. "You may sit down now." She sighed inwardly. It seemed as if every girl would talk about Sasuke in their introduction. Typical.

Sakura flounced down the aisle and bounced into her seat next to Hinata. Her hand cupped her cheek as she sighed, thinking about her last statements. She _did _want to become a matchmaker. She loved the idea of getting two souls together, to merge them into one happy couple. Love was in the air!

The two people Sakura wanted to pair up most was Hinata and Naruto. It was obvious she had a crush on him, and it was almost heartbreaking to see Hinata so lonely and sad all the time. Naruto seemed to be the only one who could make Hinata happy. Not only would she make Hinata happy if she ever succeeded in getting them together, she would get rid of the annoying, love-sick Naruto, who had a crush on _her_ and was always getting in the way of her attempts to flirt with Sasuke.

"Hinata, you're up next. Please come to the front of the room." Kurenai smiled fondly at Hinata. Hinata gulped and her clasped hands shook. It was her turn!

Sakura struck a thumbs-up pose to Hinata and smiled. "Good luck, Hinata-chan!" she whispered.

"You can do it!" Ino chimed in.

Hinata smiled weakly. "Th-thank you..." she stammered timidly, swinging her legs over to the side so she could rise from her seat. However, her body was shaking so much that she accidentally tripped over the leg of her chair, falling flat onto her ground and bringing her desk down as well.

"Hinata-chan!" Sakura and Ino gasped in unison. "Are you okay?"

Hinata adjusted her glasses and nodded her head. Luckily, the desk hadn't fallen on her. Instead, it had fallen forward. However, Hinata was aware of the stares everyone shot her. "I-I'm ok-kay..." she stammered, scolding herself for being so clumsy and attracting so much attention.

"Are you sure you're all right, Hinata?" Kurenai called out in concern.

Hinata nodded dumbly. Slowly, she rose to her feet and shuffled to the front of the room. Gulping and fiddling with her fingers, she tried to look straight at her classmates, but as she lifted her eyes, she began to feel dizzy. Instead, she focused her eyes upon her desk.

"M-my name is H-Hyuuga H-H-Hinata. I-I am very p-pleased to meet you all." Her voice was barely audible, and several of her classmates leaned forward in their seats in an attempt to hear her.

Kurenai frowned, thinking she should ask Hinata to speak louder. She was next to her, and even _she _couldn't hear her very well. However, seeing how nervous the poor girl was, she changed her mind.

"Go on, Hinata," she urged kindly, smiling down at the blue-haired Hyuuga.

Kurenai's encouragement touched her, but it didn't help much. She was still feeling weak, and she felt as if she would pass out any moment. Hinata gulped again.

"U-Umm..." she went on timidly, wringing her hands in dismay. "I-I like to pick f-flowers, and I-I like senzai and cinnamon r-rolls. I d-don't like crab and eel...a-and...um..."

Hinata looked at Sakura and Ino for their opinions, and they both grinned and struck a thumbs-up pose, mouthing, "You're doing great!" Hinata tried to smile back, but it was so hard. The dead silence and the penetrating stares were making her woozy.

"M-my hobby is p-pressing f-flowers," Hinata swallowed hard, lowering her eyes to the floor sheepishly, "and my...my dream is to become a doctor. I-I also want to become more strong-w-willed so I-I w-won't be looked down u-upon any l-longer."

Absolute silence followed her statement, and the unblinking stares of her classmates weren't any comfort. When would the torture stop? Hinata felt as if she would pass out any moment.

"Thank you, Hinata. You may sit down now." Relief passed over Hinata like a tidal wave, and she bowed to Kurenai shakily. She hobbled awkwardly into her seat, avoiding the barely audible whispers and the quick glances everyone shot her way.

"You were great, Hinata!" Sakura tried to cheer her up.

"Yeah! You did good, Hinata! Don't fret. It's over now! Take deep breaths!" Ino demonstrated by dramatically taking in air and letting it out with a _whoosh._

Hinata smiled weakly. "T-t-thanks, S-Sakura, Ino..." she stammered, her smile widening. Why did she need respect from others when she had two wonderful friends?

Her heart sank heavily, and a cold feeling wrapped itself around her heart. Still, still, she thought sadly, her smile wavering, she wanted _everyone_ to look at her like she mattered, whether she was beautiful or not...

The door slammed open and someone stepped in. The sudden sound caused several to jump in surprise, and all heads turned towards the door. When the figure emerged from the shadows, jaws dropped and eyes widened. Kurenai narrowed her eyes, fixing the figure with a stern stare.

"Ah. Welcome, Uchiha Sasuke," she greeted dryly, her eyes narrowing. "I'm glad you decided to join us. What is your excuse for being late, especially on the first day of school?"

Sasuke turned away, clearly annoyed by her question. Kurenai frowned. Well, there was no point in asking, since he wouldn't answer. She inwardly sighed and waved her hand dismissively.

"All right. I'll let you go since this is the first day of school. Would you please introduce yourself to your classmates?"

Sasuke hmphed in reply and scanned the class boredly, ignoring the hands that gestured towards an empty seat beside them and the meaningful glances the girls sent him. The only ideal seat was next to a blue-haired girl who was the only one who didn't seem to be paying him any attention.

Meanwhile, Hinata secretly sympathized for Sasuke. How terrifying for him, to be forced to speak in front of a classroom against his will. She sighed inwardly.

"Are you always this defiant, Uchiha?" Kurenai asked coolly, hiding her annoyance with a cool demeanor.

Sasuke shot her an icy glare, but nonetheless, he faced the class and muttered, "My name is Uchiha Sasuke, as all of you may know. I don't think I need to say anything further."

Without another word, he stalked towards Hinata's direction and plopped into the seat next to her. Hinata swallowed hard. The Uchiha Sasuke was sitting next to her! The perfect boy of every girl's (except herself, of course) dream, the cold-hearted beauty that everyone looked up to because he was good-looking, despite the way he treated everyone.

He scared her. She didn't know why, but something about Sasuke sent shivers running down her spine. Perhaps it was his cold persona, or the way he glared at people without changing his expression. Or...perhaps it was the glory he possessed because of his beauty, the glory that she longed to have.

Yes, she thought, closing her eyes solemnly. That was probably the reason. She was afraid...afraid of someone she could never be, afraid because he was respected and looked up to and _she_ wasn't.

Sasuke tucked his chin onto his clasped hands, annoyed that everyone was still staring at him, including Kurenai. His expression never changed as he coolly spoke, "You should continue with whatever you were doing before instead of wasting your time staring at me."

Kurenai glared coldly at him, irritated by his rude and cold attitude. Ignoring him, she called on the next person to introduce himself. When the student was done, she called on the next student, and so forth. This went on until there were only a few minutes left until the bell rang.

"Good," Kurenai remarked as the last student took their seat. "We all know each other quite properly now. Tomorrow, we will be reviewing over Algebra 2. You may go to your next class when the bell rings."

The bell rang soon enough, and everyone bowed in unison before piling out. Hinata let out a long breath of relief. The torment was finally over. She jumped slightly when someone exclaimed behind her, but relaxed when she realized that it was only Sakura.

"Oh, my gosh, Hinata-chan! You're so lucky!" Sakura groaned. "I'd do anything to have Sasuke-kun sit next to me!"

"Man, I wish I were you, Hinata-chan! You're so lucky!" Ino chimed in.

Hinata stared at them in shocked wonder. In what way was she lucky? She shook her head in disbelief.

Break was ten minutes. For most of the break, the three chattered in their homeroom. When the bell rang to signal for them to go back to their homerooms, they walked back to their first period class together.

"Today's going to be a long day." Sakura sighed.

"Yeahh...the first day of school is _always _a long day," Ino added, sighing as well.

Hinata silently agreed.

**xXxXxXxXx**

The rest of the day's classes were somewhat similar to her first period class. Hinata didn't know how she got through without passing out, but she thanked the gods that they gave her the strength to prevail.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"How was your day, Hinata-sama?"

"It was all right. How was yours, Neji-niisan?" Hinata smiled.

"Mine was all right as well. What is your opinion on high school so far?" her cousin questioned, glancing sideways at her.

"Well..." Hinata paused to press the button upon the pole near the curb. Waiting for the hand sign to blink green, she continued, "It's all right. I'm somewhat nervous yet excited about the events to come."

"I see." The hand sign blinked green, and the two walked side by side down the street. "It's too bad that we don't have any classes together," he muttered solemnly.

"Yes, I agree."

"Do you know a girl named Tenten?" he asked suddenly, as if something they had just said reminded him of something.

"Um, yes..." Hinata glanced at him, surprised. "She was in two of my classes today."

"Oh, I see." Neji nodded and a small smile crept onto his lips. "She told me that you seem shy, but you're really cute."

"Oh, s-she did?" Hinata looked away and her cheeks turned light pink. "I'll have to thank her sometime, I suppose."

Suddenly, she remembered the way Sakura and Ino smiled at her and told her, "You're cute!" Her smile gradually faded, and her eyelashes fluttered down slightly. Did they really mean it? Whenever anyone told her that she was cute or pretty, were they lying to make her feel good? Hinata's eyes glazed over dejectedly.

Tenten seemed like a nice girl, and a part of Hinata wanted to make friends with her. However, Hinata remembered something she had always told herself...

_Never trust anyone but the ones who you love...the ones who love you back. Even so, you should always keep your guard up, because in reality...you can't trust _anyone _at all._

"Is something wrong?" Neji's voice forced its way through her thoughts.

"Huh?" She blinked twice and stared at Neji dumbly.

"You seemed awfully quiet and unhappy for a moment there, Hinata," he explained in concern, giving her the stare that she recognized as the stare he used to make someone feel so uncomfortable and awkward that they would have to give in.

Hinata shook her head slowly. "It was n-nothing..." she lied softly.

"Hn." Neji looked away and didn't say anything more.

She felt guilty for making him worry, but she didn't feel like spilling out her troubles to him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; it was just that she never actually confided in anyone before. She was always used to keeping her feelings bottled up. She hated it, but it was a part of her personality, and she couldn't do anything about it.

A few minutes later, they came across a small lake. Hinata stopped to look into the eyes of her reflection, and Neji immediately stopped to wait patiently for her. Hinata's sad eyes traveled over the ugly features of her face, and she sighed softly.

"Neji-niisan?"

"Yes?"

She lifted her eyes and looked straight into Neji's clear orbs. "Has anyone ever told you something...or said anything about you that you knew...deep down in your heart...that it was or wasn't true, no matter how much you wanted it to be true or not?"

Neji looked slightly surprised, yet it almost seemed as if he knew she would say something among those lines. "No, I have not. However, I can assume that whoever feels that way must feel great pain."

Hinata nodded sadly. "Yes..." she agreed quietly, turning back to gaze sadly into the lake. She hung her head sorrowfully, and her long bangs cast a shadow over her glassy eyes. "Yes, they do..."

A single drop of water kissed the surface of the lake.

**xXxXxXx**

In case you're wondering, _ikebana_ means "the way of the flower." It didn't sound right to say "I guess...to hone my way of the flower skills," so I put in ikebana instead. Just to clear things up. :)

Any comments/questions/ideas/concerns/constructive criticism? Send them in your review! -pokes review button- :D


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N. Sooo sorry for the late update! T.T School and writer's block pretty much explains it all. x.x

Anyway, I decided to put some humor in here. Tenten and Kakashi are kinda OOC, but it was for the humor, so please forgive me. XD

Oh yes, and I need to ask you people this. Do you think I should put make the characters add "-chan/-san/-kun/-sama/etc" whenever they call someone's name? I notice some people get annoyed and slap a "Japanese wannabe" label on someone whenever they add Japanese stuff into their fics. I don't mind, really, and I actually think it sounds better in some cases. But...do _you _guys think I should do that? Rereading this makes me think..."Ugh, it sounds sooo weird. Maybe I should add the "-chan/san/-kun/-sama/etc" stuff." If people say yes, I'll go back and change stuff. But if no, then...well, I'll just leave it like this. Please send me your opinions in your reviews. x3

To those who assure me that I am not ugly, I'm touched. You guys are soo sweet. :) Tee-hee. x3 Even though I'm not, I hope that I get more prettier like Hinata. x)

To those who ask if certain characters will be in here, I'm not exactly sure. You see, the story that I based this off of had very little characters. The major characters in this story that I based off on **The Tiger and the Chameleon **are Sasuke, Hinata, Neji, Sakura, and Ino. I usually put other characters in here, like Tenten, for instance, for humor or just to fill up the lack of characters. I suppose I'll try to put some other characters in, like those that were requested. They probably won't be in this story due to some issues, but hopefully, I can add them in. x3

And to someone who asked if Hinata can take off her glasses, Hinata's going to be wearing them for a long time. She's the type that _needs _to wear glasses all the time, except, of course, when she goes to sleep or takes a shower. But she _will _have her glasses off sometime soon. Well...you'll just have to see. x33

To everyone who reviewed, thank you soooooo much. I appreciate your reviews very much. (Gosh, I sound cheesy. x3) Anyways, I'm hoping to get lots of reviews, whether it be suggestions, ideas, requests, or simply 'yay, you updated!' as this story progresses. Please review, because each and every review (except flames, of course, but I trust that those annoying flamers will be mature enough to not flame this story) counts. x333

**xXxXxXx**

Hinata rushed through the door to the library, panting and gasping for breath. She glanced around for the librarian, Miturashi Anko, but she was nowhere to be found. She expected to see Anko at her desk, but instead, a man was at Anko's desk. His back was to her, so she couldn't see his face.

She slowly walked towards the librarian's desk, staring at the man's back doubtfully. "U-um...excuse me?" she asked timidly, clasping her hands before her awkwardly. "I'm - "

"-late," he finished for her calmly. She could hear the page of a book turning as he spoke. "You're late."

Hinata flushed. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized softly, lowering her eyes to the desk sheepishly, "but...y-you see...my friend's locker was stuck...s-so I helped her open it. I r-rushed here as quickly as I could, b-but the bell rang. I-I'm really sorry - "

The man sighed, interrupting her mid-sentence. He finally turned around, and Hinata's eyes narrowed as she stared at his face - or what she could see. He wore a navy blue mask that concealed the lower half of his face, and a headband hung loosely from his head in such a way that it covered his right eye. All she could see was the smooth, milky skin around his left eye, and his left eye itself, of course. He leaned towards her slightly and peered at her carefully.

"Hmmm...Hinata, isn't it?"

"Yes..." Hinata nodded.

"Right." He casually shrugged. "Anyway, Anko is not present today, Hinata, so I'm filling in for her. Just to clear things up, okay?"

"O-okay. In the meantime, what do I do?"

"Hmmm...do whatever you need to do. I don't really know, so you can just figure out what to do, right?" His eye curved into an upside down U. He kicked back and swung his right leg over his left one, happily reading an orange book.

Hinata blinked in surprise, but she managed to say, "I suppose I-I can. Umm...sir? May I ask what your name is?"

"Hm?" he asked absentmindedly, not looking up from his book.

"M-may I ask what your name is, sir?" she repeated, a bit loudly this time. What was up with this teacher? Her eyes fell onto the cover of the book - and she immediately looked away.

He had seen the way Hinata stared at the book and quickly looked away, and it amused him. He suddenly leaned forward towards Hinata. "This book is interesting, Hinata," he spoke gently, holding up his book to her. Hinata didn't want to look at the cover, so she focused her eyes on his fingers instead. "Do you understand?"

Hinata swallowed and wrung her hands nervously. "Y-yes, s-sir," she responded obediently, wringing her hands nervously.

"I apologize if I seem rude when I don't answer you right away."

Hinata nodded dumbly. "I-I don't mind, sir."

"Perhaps if you knew what was in this book, you'd understand why I am so absorbed into it. Would you like to know what is in this book, Hinata?"

Hinata swallowed again. What was going on? Why was he doing such a dirty thing? "I-I...I-I..." she stammered, looking down at the floor and fiddling with her fingers. "I-I understand perfectly w-well...why you enjoy reading i-it so m-much, sir. I b-believe I-I don't need to k-know the contents of your b-book..."

His mask jutted out slightly where his mouth was, and she guessed he was smiling. Why was he toying with her like this? "Come now, Hinata," he sighed, "I know you want to know."

"N-no, s-sir - " she began hurriedly, but he interrupted her.

"I'll simply tell you to satisfy your curioisity, Hinata." He flipped the pages, his eye still staring mischievously at the nervous girl.

Oh, god! She needed to get away! She told her feet to move, but they felt numb with dread. She swallowed yet again, trying to find her voice. "P-please, s-sir," she squeaked, hating how nervous she sounded, and hating how amused he seemed to be at her state, "I simply want to do my j-job here. I r-really don't want you t-to t-tell me -"

"Must you be so innocent, Hinata?" he asked with a sigh, smiling wanly. "Here. Just a brief look into here won't hurt, will it?" He had flipped to the page where it showed a very naughty illustration, and he was about to flip the book around right into her face when -

_**BAM! **_

A large textbook struck Kakashi's head and fell onto the floor with a loud _thunk. _

"KAKASHI!"

Ouch. That was going to bruise. Hinata cringed.

"Uh-oh." Kakashi quickly hid his book into his pocket and tried not to look guilty as he turned to face the source of the voice.

Hinata was greatly relieved to see Miturashi Anko standing there at the doorway, her hands on her hips and her eyes fixing an annoyed and angry glare upon Kakashi.

"Just what do you think you're doing, buster?" the pissed woman barked.

Kakashi's hand slipped into the basket beside his chair and grabbed the book on the top of the pile of books within the basket. "Anko, what does it look like I'm doing? I'm showing Hinata just how..." He took a quick peek at the book in his hand. **ICHA ICHA PARADISE VOLUME 2. **

"Oops." He remembered that he had taken along the first two volumes of **ICHA ICHA PARADISE **and placed them in the basket of returned book so he could re-read them after he finished the latest volume.

Kakashi quickly placed **ICHA ICHA PARADISE VOLUME 2** into his other pocket and grabbed another book from the basket. "I was just showing Hinata the cover of this book!" he made up as quickly as he would buy the newest volume of **ICHA ICHA PARADISE. **"I was just remarking on how the girl on this cover looked just like her! Don't you think so, Anko?"

Anko snorted and rolled her eyes. "For one thing, Kakashi," she retorted irritatedly. "I'm not an idiot. And f-y-i-, the person on the cover is a _boy _with _barely any _hair and _green _eyes."

Kakashi glanced at the cover, and sure enough, there was an almost bald boy with blonde hair and green eyes.A sweatdrop appeared near his forehead. "Ummm, ehehe...but they do look alike, don't they?" Kakashi's visible eye curved into an upside down U as he laughed nervously.

"Yeah, they look alike..."

Relief. Kakashi sighed. _Whew. _

"...just like the way you and Gai look alike."

He took that back! How _dare _she compare handsome and sexy him to that...that...weirdo with the spandex suit and eyebrows as fat as his ego!

"I take offense!" Kakashi cried, a vein bursting in his forehead as he shook his fist.

"Like I care! How dare you bring your disgusting books here! This is a _school, _for pete's sake! And on top of that, how dare you try to taint an innocent girl's mind! I'm disgusted, Kakashi! I ought to report you to Tsunade!"

Kakashi's eye became as wide as pancakes. "Noo! Not Tsunade! Anything but that! PLEASE, FORGIVE ME, ANKOOO!" he wailed, kneeling before Anko and bowing constantly.

Anko sweatdropped and sighed, shaking her head. "This is...rather disturbing. I'll just let Tsunade deal with you. C'mon!" Anko grabbed Kakashi by the collar of his jacket and dragged him away.

"NOOOOO!" Kakashi wailed, flailing his arms in desperation.

Anko and Kakashi disappeared from sight. Hinata just blinked and stared after them. She experienced bizarre and disturbing situations thousands of times, but this was ridiculous!

"Oh, yeah, and Hinata," Anko poked her head in the library and flashed Hinata a smile. "the basket is behind the desk, like it always is, so just return all of the books back into their original places, okay? I'll be right back!"

"FORGIVE ME, ANKOOO - "

"Shut up!" Anko's eyes flared as she bared her teeth towards his direction before she disappeared once again. Hinata blinked for several moments before sighing.

"W-well...I guess I have to get to work now."

**xXxXxXx**

By the time Anko returned, looking rather annoyed yet triumphant at the same time, Hinata was finished putting away half of the books. Anko whistled a happy tune as she walked over to Hinata's direction.

"Good job, Hinata. I'll be at my desk if you need me!" Anko beamed happily.

"Okay." Hinata smiled back.

Suddenly, there was a small commotion just outside the library. Anko glanced over at the doorway and frowned, narrowing her lavendar eyes.

"Eh? What - oh, yeah. Iruka's class is coming over to the library to check out books for some project." Anko shrugged absentmindedly. She walked back to her desk and took her seat.

Iruka's class? Fifth period? Hinata smiled. She would see Ino!

Her smile wavered. And she'd see..._him _as well.

Hinata kept her eyes on the shelf in front of her as Iruka's class filed in nosily.

"Quiet, class!" Iruka scolded. "This _is _a library!"

It helped a bit, but not really. After Iruka finally got their attention, he cleared his throat.

"Well, class, we're going to spend about half an hour in here checking out books. Remember, you need one mythology book, one biography book about an imporatant person, and one fictional book. Get to work!"

Hinata slid in a book back into its place absentmindedly. She jumped as someone exclaimed cheerfully from beside her.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!"

"Ino...!" Hinata whirled and smiled. "You startled me," she admitted.

Ino grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Anyways, mind helping me choose some books?" she asked. "I'm not sure where to start."

"O-okay. I'll try my best."

"Thanks! I already got a fictional book. I just need a biography and mythology book. Any ideas?" Ino cocked her head to the side and stared questioningly at her.

"W-well...the biography section is over there. Let's start there."

"HIYA, GUYS!"

Ino and Hinata both jumped and whirled around. "Naruto!" Ino cried out angrily. "Whacha trying to do, give everyone a heart attack? Keep your voice down, please!"

"Well, _sorryyyy!_" Naruto scowled, his voice still as loudly as it has always been.

"SHHHHH!" several people hissed.

"SORRY!" Naruto shouted back at them.

"SHHHHHHHH!" they hissed again.

"I SAID, SORRYY!" Naruto retorted.

"SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

_They _weren't exactly being quiet either, but heck, it's a tradition to yell '_shhhhhhhh_' if someone was shouting down the roof.

"I think it's better if you just don't talk at all," Ino mumbled.

"Mind your own business," the blonde responded indignantly. "Anyway, I need to ask Hinata-chan here for help. I have no idea where to start. Soooo, Hinata," Naruto turned to her and grinned eagerly, "you _will _help me, right?"

Hinata managed a weak smile. "I-I suppose s-so," she murmured, adjusting her glasses instinctively. Hinata turned away and walked towards the biography section. Ino frowned, concerned, at her friend's retreating back, but she followed after her, with Naruto close behind.

"W-well...here's several books a-about Arashi Kazama." Hinata gestured toward a row of books.

"Arashi who?" Naruto blinked.

"Forget it, Naruto. Let her continue." Ino rolled her eyes.

"Arashi Kazama w-was...um...a very i-important person who fought for Japan's d-democracy," Hinata explained wisely. "H-he also sacrificed himself to protect Japan when it was being taken o-over," she finished, walking over to another section of the shelf. "A-and...here's...umm..." Hinata's face flushed and she moved away from a row of orange books. "T-this row - " she stammered, gesturing to a row of thick books, "i-is- "

"Hey! Jiraiya. I know that name." Naruto pointed at the spine of one of the orange books. "I remember Kakashi telling me that Jiraiya was his idol. Hm. Must be someone pretty cool for _the_ Hatake Kakashi to worship. I'll take this!" Naruto grabbed the book triumphantly.

"Gah! You dope!" Ino slapped her forehead. Why the heck were there books about THIS GUY? Of course, it was just a biography book and probably had information about his life, and not what he wrote, but still...! "Put that book back! I'm serious, you do _not _want to read anything about him!"

"Why not?" Naruto blinked. Apparantly, he was even more clueless and innocent than Hinata. And that was saying something! Did he grow up in a cave? Ino wondered.

"B-because..." the tall female sputtered, flapping her hands frantically. A vein threatened to pop at her forehead. "Jiraiya is an author who writes...DISTURBING THINGS! You'll be scarred for life, Naruto!"

"Whaddya mean by that?" Naruto frowned and began to open the book to see for himself.

"JUST PUT IT BACK!" Ino snatched the book and shoved it back into the empty gap.

"SHHHHH!" several people hissed.

Ino's eyes burned holes through Naruto's clueless and innocent face. "You idiot," she growled under her breath.

**xXxXxXx**

It took about ten minutes for Ino and Naruto to find the books they wanted. Anko was gone for the moment, saying she was needed at the office, so Hinata checked out the books for them, and the two blondes gave her a cheerful thanks and a wave as they left her to work on their project. Occasionally, a student would come up to her and ask for a recommendation or to simply ask her to check out their books for them. The Hyuuga smiled politely at what seemed to be the last student of the class and handed her the books. Hinata glanced at the clock and sighed inwardly. Ten more minutes left, she thought distantly.

Something solid dropped onto the desk's surface. Startled, Hinata's head snapped back and she swallowed nervously as she recognized the person in front of her. Uchiha Sasuke stared at her blankly, and without changing his expression, pointed at the books with his unblinking eyes.

"U-um...you're checking them out, r-right?" It was a stupid thing to ask, but that was the first thing that popped into her mind.

Sasuke simply nodded, without changing his expression or saying anything. Then he reached his hand into his pocket and withdrew his ID card, which he slapped silently onto the desk. He shoved his hands into his pockets and continued to stare, waiting for her to do her job.

Hinata quickly scanned his ID card into the computer, and one by one, checked out his books. She slid his books towards him and a weak smile spread across her face as she placed a reciept into the book on top of the others.

"They're due in th-three weeks. Good l-luck on your project," she murmured softly, sounding somewhat like a robot, for she had repeated this to all of the students who checked out books. Sasuke reached for his books, and a sudden jolt surged through Hinata as their hands touched ever so slightly. The feeling left her numb for a few seconds, but it quickly went away. But she had felt it, and she was confused. As she watched Sasuke walk away, her sore smile faded into a puzzled frown. His skin had felt cold, she thought.

She remembered something her mother had told her when she was a child. She had said that if someone's life is sad and empty, it not only affects their hearts, but their skin as well. Sad hearts feel cold, as well as skin.

Her mother had explained that people almost always feel sad because they are lonely. _"Remember, child, should you ever feel lonely, know that there are those that care. Live life knowing that there are those that care, so you will feel warm inside out."_

Hinata stared down at the desk, pondering thoughtfully. She had heard about the deaths of Sasuke's parents years ago. Sasuke had lived through life, alone. Would several years of loneliness have that much power to drain the warmth from one's heart and flesh?

Then she thought about herself. She was alone too, but not entirely, she realized. She had her family and friends, whereas Sasuke had nobody by his side, except girls who loved him when they didn't even understand him. Maybe Sasuke just wanted someone to understand him. Maybe he just wanted someone to cure his longing for understanding and love. It wouldn't seem like it to people on the outside, but Hinata realized at that moment...Sasuke wanted someone to understand and love him.

At that moment, Hinata wanted to be someone important to him. She didn't want him to live through life without the knowledge of feeling warmth. Would Sasuke let his guard down so easily? Would he actually open up and let someone in his life? It was hard, even for her. How much harder would it be for Sasuke?

Without thinking, Hinata's hand ran over the flesh that Sasuke had touched. She expected to feel the flesh that had grown cold ever since her mother died. Her eyelashes fluttered as she stared at her hand. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold, either.

**xXxXxXx**

"Man, I have soooo much homework," Sakura groaned as soon as she, Ino, and Hinata met up in the school courtyard.

"Me, too," Ino moaned. "And it's just the second week of school, too! Sheeesh, the teachers need to realize that there's more to life than homework!"

"Like flirting with guys?" a sly voice piped up suddenly.

"Precisely - wait, say what?" All three whirled around, and there stood Tenten, her right hand on her hip as she shook her head and _tsked_.

"I don't know _how _you're going to get through school if guys are on your mind all day long." Tenten sighed.

A vein throbbed in Ino's and Sakura's foreheads. "Say what?" Ino cried out, shaking her fist angrily.

"It's the love of a lifetime, you know!" Sakura retorted. "And we don't _always _think of guys."

"No, you don't. You just think of _one _guy all the time. Namely, that Sasuke guy." Tenten made a face. Tenten was one of those few girls who didn't have a crush on Sasuke. She had gone to the same school with Sasuke almost as long as Ino and Sakura, and she _still _couldn't figure out what was so wonderful about him. He _was _pretty cute, she had admitted one time, but not as cool as a certain someone.

"Oh, shush. I don't know how _you're _going to survive _life _if Neji keeps giving you the cold shoulder."

Tenten flushed. "He gives _everyone _the cold shoulder!" she protested defensively.

"Hah, so you admit you _do _like Neji!" Sakura cried out triumphantly.

"Which has been obvious for about ten years," Ino added sarcastically.

"Whatever." Tenten was completely out of clever comebacks, and she clearly showed it on her annoyed and embarassed face. She looked at Hinata and smiled brightly. "Hey there...Hinata, isn't it?" she casually said, trying to change the subject.

"Y-yes."

"Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Hinata cocked her head slightly to the side, a thoughtful look etched into her features. Tenten didn't seem shy at all, she thought. She seemed to be quite talkative and energetic. Perhaps she was only shy when it came to talking in front of an audience.

"So, how has life been with these two? Annoying, probably, since you have to deal with their constant flirting with Sasuke." Tenten grinned, ignoring the daggers the two light-haired girls shot at her back.

Sakura and Ino hadn't met Hinata until two years ago, and at that time, Tenten had moved away to live with her father, for her parents had divorced when she just started middle school. Her father had died just recently, so Tenten moved back to live with her mother. That was why Hinata wasn't very familiar with Tenten, but even so, Hinata thought she was pretty nice.

"At least we have the _guts _to show our love for him!" Ino retorted slyly. "Unlike you, who's too chicken to admit that you like Neji."

"Chyeah," Sakura agreed.

"Ch-ch..._chicken?_" A shadow covered Tenten's eyes, and a dangerous aura radiated off her as her head slowly turned. "What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?" she growled.

_Oops. _Ino and Sakura backed away slowly, fear written across their faces. One thing that Ino and Sakura had forgotten was Tenten's temper tantrum whenever anyone called her a weakling, a chicken, a wuss, a sissy, etc. Basically, she considered anything that insulted her tomboy persona offending. And yep, chicken was one of them.

"Erp...I called you...chick?" Ino laughed nervously. Sakura nodded her agreement.

"_Really..._" Tenten loomed over them, and punched her fist into her palm, which made them whimper. "Let me get this straight. You just called me a chicken because I have no guts? Is that it?"

_Crack. Crack. _

"Eeep." Sakura whimpered and jumped behind Ino, cowering behind her friend's back. Ino's face darkened, and she crossed her arms, an annoyed frown marring her face.

"Gee, thanks, that's right, use me as a human shield. What a great friend you are!" she said sarcastically.

"I suggest running," Sakura whispered frantically. "Very fast."

"Agreed." Sakura and Ino took off, flailing their arms frantically as a cloud of dust marked their trail.

"KYAHHHHHHH!" they screamed.

"_NOW_ WHO ARE THE ONES WITH NO GUTS, HUH?" Shaking her fist wildly, Tenten took off after them. "GET BACK HERE!"

Hinata just blinked.

**xXxXxXx**

"Neji-niisan?"

"Yes...?" Neji glanced at her with concern, as if wondering whether she would ask someone as emotional as the question she had asked him last week. Hinata changed her mind immediately and shook her head.

"U-um...never mind."

They walked on in silence. Hinata slowly closed the distance between them as they continued to walk along the path. He didn't even notice, to her relief. Shakily, she moved her arm towards his, and she cringed slightly as her bare hand bumped into Neji's.

She was about to apologize politely, but he didn't seem to notice. She bit her lower lip and turned away, her mind swirling with a heavy realization.

Neji's skin felt _warm. _It wasn't extremely warm, but _it was still warm. _

How? She had thought Neji's skin would be...well, cool. She knew of his harsh life, and she half expected his skin to be cold. His mother had died giving him birth, and his father passed away when he was only a child. He lived alone for several years, and yet, _his skin still felt warm._

The thought made her feel like she wanted to hit herself. How could Neji, who lived a harsher life than her, still manage to be happy? Even though he felt lonely, he didn't let it get in the way of his life. He held his head high and stared straight ahead, while she looked down and cowered from everything that came her way. And what about her? All she did was feel sorry for herself. She was so pathetic that she felt like she wanted to die.

Then she thought about Sasuke. Sasuke felt cold, too, Hinata thought, trying to console herself.

But what was different about Sasuke, she realized in dread, was that he also kept his head up. He was sad and lonely, too, but he didn't make it evident. He didn't stare at everyone with a pouty frown, as if to say, _Look at me. I'm miserable, so feel sorry for me. _

But, another voice inside her said defensively, Neji and Sasuke were both respected and looked up to. That respect and love from others made up for the deaths of their parents and the lack of their friends. They could be strong because of that. But _she _didn't have that, so she couldn't be as strong as them.

But could that really make up for what they didn't have? Hinata wrung her hands in despair. What right did she have to judge them? she thought miserably. She was always comparing herself to other people. She would find flaws within herself, but desperately try to find flaws within the other to make it seem as if she had the right to be flawed. She _was _really pathetic.

"Hinata."

"H-huh?" Hinata looked up, startled, to find Neji fixing a concern stare upon her face.

"Are you all right?" he questioned slowly, his stare penetrating through the mask that she used whenever she tried to reassure someone that she was okay.

Hinata nodded quickly, and a wide yet fake smile spread across her face. "Y-yes. I-I'm perfectly fine, Neji," she lied, trying to make her voice sound happy.

Neji turned away. "The lie you tell is so much better than the truth, Hinata," he whispered gently, his bleached eyes softening.

Hinata's heart sank heavily. So he knew.

"I know you're not all right, but I don't know why. However, it is not my place to question you any further. But should you ever feel the need to tell someone whatever you are keeping bottled up, just know that you can always come to me."

Hinata was dumbfounded. Did she make him feel like she thought him a fool who couldn't figure out if she was lying or not? Did she make him feel like she doubted his ability to see through her unnatural smile and realize that she was only faking? Did she make him feel like she didn't trust him enough to confide in him?

Of _course _Neji knew immediately whether she was okay or not. He was...well, _Neji. _He had always looked out for her ever since they were children. Even though he was only her cousin, he and she were very close. So of _course _he could see straight through her smile and see the pain behind it. She wanted to tell him that she trusted him more than anyone in the world, but she couldn't. She wanted to tell him that she needed and wanted to confide in him, but she couldn't. She was just like this. She couldn't just stir the courage to spill out her heart's pain.

A heaviness weighed down on her heart, and a tingling feeling surged behind her eyes. There were only a few times that someone made her feel touched and loved. This was one of those times. She stopped in her tracks, hanging her head low.

"Neji-niisan..."

He stopped as well and slowly whirled, but his eyes widened as Hinata's arms wrapped around him. She squeezed him tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Thank you."

Neji's puzzled expression faded, and his eyes closed as he held her back. All Hinata could think about at that moment was how Neji's warmth touched her so.

**xXxXxXxXx**

A/N. I'm not sure if Japanese people actually do such projects for English. I just got the idea when I had to do an English project last week, sooo...yeahhh. x3 I'm not sure about if being sad really does make your skin cold, but heh...that's what my mom told me. x3 And I suppose it would make a cute fluffy scene when Sasuke and Hinata are happy together in the end. x33

Btw, Hinata touched Neji's skin on purpose, just to feel if it was warm or not. Just fyi. x3 Wow...there's more NejiHina fluff than SasuHina! -feels mortified- Well, it's only cousin love...but heck! x.x I really need to get to the scene where the real SasuHina fluff begins! T.T

PLEASE REVIEWWW! x3333 Show me your looooove. x3


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. The Great Masashi Kishimoto does. Neither do I own the paragraph ''if a small amount of sodium...the net result is that some of the calcium hydroxide precipitates.'' A website called **General Chemistry **does.

A/N. Gack. How long has it been since I last updated? X.X

I'm SO sorry! It's just that I've been too lazy to work on it. I also had a lot of homework that made me too restless to bother working on this. Aaand...I was also trying to figure out how to put SasuHina fluff without making either of them too OOC. In the end, Sasuke turned out to be a bit OOC, though. T.T;; Please forgive me! I couldn't help but make him OOC. X.X;; Anyway, isn't he only a cold-hearted jerk in the anime/manga because Itachi killed his family? I mean, if he grew up without a bad past, wouldn't he be less...cold-hearted? o.O

**MY THANKS: **Thanks SO much to those who reviewed! It'd be greatly appreciated if you guys kept on reading, enjoying, and reviewing:)

**_IMPORTANT NOTE:_ **I wanted to make this story more unique, so I have decided to make this story stick to the Japanese school culture. I also editted the first two chapters so they would be relative to the Japanese culture.

It isn't necessary to read the editted chapters to fully enjoy the story, but it'd be nice if you did. Also, there's this one minor scene that includes _minor, _and I mean, _minor _fluff. I won't tell you what the scene is, but you'll figure it out instantly if you read the first chapter. :)

I never realized how different the USA and Japanese school culture is until I looked up several websites that explained the Japanese school culture. For one thing, instead of going to different classes for each period, Japanese students stay in their homeroom while the teachers come to _them_! O.o Wow, interesting, neh:)

Also, every morning, the whole school lines up in the gym or outside by class and listens to the principal make a 10 - 15 minute speech. Most Japanese schools don't have a cafeteria, so they eat in their homeroom. Unlike USA students, who change their schedules every semester, Japanese students change their schedules _everyday. _There's a lot more differences, but ehh...the author's note is long enough already. :)

The reason why I'm telling you some of these differences is because I don't want any confusion. Since people are used to reading fanfics that stick to the USA school culture, it's likely that it might be confusing to read something new and different.

For more information on Japanese school culture, you can go to google, type in 'Japanese school culture,' and click the first few sites that show up. :)

Okayy...this chapter was supposed to be longer, but my sis complained about my chapters. "They're too _LONG,_" she says. X.x

Well...I suppose they ARE long, but...sheeshh...I don't see her complaining when she reads other fanfics, and THEY have even longer chapters than me! X-X No offense to those fanfics, though! It's good to have long chapters:)

Anyway, I split this chapter into two parts. The next chapter will continue from where the end of this chapter left off. :)

**My Answers to Some Questions: **

_**Is it true that cold hands mean that you are sad? **_

I have no idea, for sure. o.o; That's what my mom told me, anyway. x) I intended to use this as 'fluff' because in the end, I'm going to make Sasuke 'really warm,' which Hinata will take as "Sasuke's happy with me..-heart heart-" Omgsh...that sounded so lame. XD

_**Will Hinata ever take off her glasses? **_

Teh heh...ahem...well. -pokes this chapter- There's your answer. :)

_**Will the Sand Siblings be in the story? **_

Ermm...now that I think about it, I probably won't be able to put them in the story. X.x There's too much to think about already, and to put more characters in would make my brain fry. X.X;; Buuut...I _will _try to put them in the story, as well as some other characters, like Shikamaru and Rock Lee. I'm not making any promises, though! T-T

Due to some private messages and reviews concerning some stuff, I decided to put some information here regarding the story. I was going to put this as a seperate chapter instead of in this chapter's author's note because I didn't want to make the author's note too long, but I remembered that seperate author notes aren't allowed on T.T Sooo...here it is!

**Characters: **

**Primaries: **Hinata, Sasuke

**Secondaries: **Sakura, Ino, Tenten, Neji, Naruto

**Minors (IF I choose to put them in the story): **Sand Siblings, Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino

**Pairings**

**Main Pairing: **SasuHina

**Side Pairing (s?): **NaruSaku

**Minor (IF I choose to put them in the story): **ShikaIno, LeeTen (sorry to NejiTen fans, but for the sake of my sis, who HATES that pairing with a passion, I must not pair up Neji and Tenten :D )

**Plot **

**Summary: **Hinata, a shy high school student who has a problem with her low self esteem, is afraid of opening up to others. She's been told that she's ugly for so long that she thinks of herself that way as well. One day, she bumps into popular yet cold-hearted Uchiha Sasuke and breaks her glasses, finding herself in a pretty bad situation since she's practically blind without her glasses. It's a shock when Sasuke offers to be her eyes until her glasses get fixed! What can happen in the few days that it takes for Hinata's glasses to get repaired? Is love a possible answer? (Note: There'll be events following the end of the 5 days, but the summary has enough info for now, neh:D )

**Number of Chapters: **About 10 - 25 chapters. This is just an estimate, though, so don't be shocked if the end of the story is nowhere near there. :)

**Morals: **Don't let others control your feelings. Beauty is skin deep. Love you for you. Be proud of who you are. Love someone for who they are _inside_, not _outside. _

...And probably more that I can't think of at the moment...(:

**xXxXxXx**

_**Late April**_

_"You know Hyuuga?" _

_"Huh?" _

_"Hyuuga Hinata." _

_"Oh, yeah! What about her?" _

_"She likes you." _

_"Huh?" _

_"Do you like her, too?" _

_"Uhhhh, well - " _

_"You _do_, don't you? You got that look on your face!" _

_"H-hey! I - " _

_"How could anyone ever like her? I mean, she's so ugly and she stutters too much!" _

_"Hey! Don't talk about her like that!" _

_"Ooooh...so you _do_ like her!" _

_"I do not! She's weird and too quiet. She's not my type! But she's okay, I guess." _

_"So who do you like then, huh?" _

_**"I like Sakura-chan!" **_

"Hinata-san...! Hinata-san!"

A familiar voice tore through the sleepy atmosphere of her mind. She immediately cringed, feeling a painful jolt surge through her head. A headache, probably? she thought in dismay.

Hinata's eyes slowly opened. Peering down at her was her sister, Hanabi.

"H-Hanabi-chan?" Hinata quickly sat up, staring at Hanabi through exhausted eyes.

"I was worried when you didn't wake up as early as you usually do," Hanabi explained in a monotone. "I thought I'd come up and wake you up myself."

"Oh, no...! What time is it?" Hinata felt for her glasses case, which she always kept on her alcove, and quickly opened the case. She placed her glasses on, blinking several times as she looked frantically at the clock. "7:24?" she exclaimed in horrified shock. "I hadn't realized I overslept so much! The bus will leave without me!"

"What time does it leave?"

"In about 10 minutes! I have to hurry!"

Without another word, Hinata quickly slid out of her futon, rolled it up, and put it away before running to her bathroom. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and threw open the doors of her closet. She changed into her school uniform - a dark blue blouse with a sailor-styled collar and a matching skirt. Hinata rushed down the stairs quickly, while Hanabi silently followed behind.

"I bought cinnamon rolls for breakfast from the Ichiraku Bakery. There's a bag of them on the table," Hanabi proclaimed nonchalantly, gesturing to the bag silently. "I intended to buy _onigiri, _but I remembered that you liked cinnamon rolls."

"Thank you, Hanabi-chan!" Hinata quickly found the bag and, with a paper napkin, grabbed two cinnamon rolls and poured herself a glass of milk.

Hanabi glanced at the clock near the front door. "It's 7:31. You had better hurry," Hanabi paused. "Is it alright if I leave right now?"

" Of course! I won't force you to stay." Hinata shot her younger sister a quick, grateful smile. "Thank you again for waking me up and buying cinnamon rolls for me, Hanabi-chan!"

Hanabi nodded and went out the door. Hinata gulped down her milk so quickly that her brain stung with coldness temporarily. She grabbed her _bento _box and, taking a bite out of a cinnamon roll, Hinata grabbed her backpack from the corner where she always left it. Hoping she wouldn't miss the bus, she rushed out the door.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Oh, no...did the bus leave already?" Hinata glanced at her watch. It was 7:36. Perhaps it was late today? Or maybe it already left.

She decided to wait a few minutes, but after five minutes passed, she realized that the bus had already left. The bell rang at 8:00. Walking to school would probably take about fifteen to twenty minutes, and by then, the bell would surely have rung. Would she have enough time to place her street shoes in her locker, don her school slippers, and get to the gym in the four minutes that followed the first ring of the bell?

Well, there was no other choice now. Frustrated with herself, Hinata rushed down the sidewalk and concentrated on getting to school as quickly as she could. Her mind suddenly recalled what she had tried to forget...

_"How could anyone ever like her? She's so ugly and she stutters so much!"_

_"She's weird and too quiet..." _

_"She's not my type!" _

_**"I like Sakura-chan!" **_

She sniffled absentmindedly as tears formed rapidly in her eyes. _Oh, for crying out loud_, an inner voice scolded irritatedly, _get over it! What's done is done. There's no use crying now. _

Hinata brushed the tears away from her eyes with the back of her hand. She'd get over it someday, she promised herself hollowly. Yet she knew in her heart that what had happened wouldn't be easy to forget.

**xXxXxXxXx**

By the time she stepped into the courtyard, there were only a few students left dwaddling around - the students that Hinata came to recognize as the students that apparantly didn't care less about school and didn't bother to be on time for their classes. That meant that she was _really _late.

She looked up her schedule for today, which read as follows:

**I - Math - Yuhi Kurenai **

**II - Chemistry - Gekkou Hayate **

**III - Music - Miyazaki Haku**

**V - English - Sarutobi Asuma**

**VI - Japanese - Umino Iruka **

**VII - Social Studies - Mitsumi Tsunami**

She ran down the hallway quickly. Please don't let me be late, she prayed silently as her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty corridor.

She reached the end of the hallway and turned at the corner -

_WHAM. _

A strong impact collided into her rather hard, causing her to cry out in pain and surprise. The light pressure of her glasses slid off her nose, and the noise of her math textbooks rang loudly in the air as they clattered to the ground. She fell face-down on top of something - no, _someone _- soft.

"O-ow." Hinata shook her head to shake the dizziness away. Her headache had increased greatly.

"Uhn," came a grunt from below her. A _male _grunt.

_O-oh, no! I'm on top of him! _Hinata suddenly realized, her face burning with the color of a thousand suns. She quickly climbed off him, mentally thumping her chest rapidly with the side of her hand in an attempt to calm her heart.

"I-I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry!" she managed to choke out.

He merely groaned slightly and slowly got up. Looking at him and realizing in confusion that he was blurry, it dawned on Hinata. _My glasses! _she thought in horror. Her throat dry and her heart thumping, she blindly felt for her glasses, praying that they weren't broken.

The boy made a sound, indicating that he wanted her attention. Hinata blinked in surprise as the blurry figure held up what seemed to be her glasses.

"Yes...! Thank you!" she exclaimed in relief. She took them with a bright smile, but her smile immediately faded as soon as she placed her glasses on. As she did so, several fragments of the lenses fell onto the floor with a barely audible sound. She took a sharp intake of breath. _No...this can't be happening..._

She took off her glasses and fingered the lenses of her glasses. Her heart sank heavily as she realized that her glasses were indeed broken. One of the lenses had deep cracks in them, while the other one lay in shattered shards on the ground. In the collision, something drastic must have happened. Perhaps one of her books landed on her glasses, or her glasses landed so harshly. Either way, she was in trouble. Without her glasses, she was completely blind and helpless! It was as if she were peering through a thick, hazy fog.

"They're broken," came the short and blank response. As if she hadn't already figured that out! Frustrated, Hinata continued to finger her glasses, as if hoping that they would magically be unbroken again. "I'm assuming you can't see without your glasses," the voice continued smoothly.

Instead of apologizing or offering to help, Hinata thought ruefully, he was rubbing the fact that she was pathetically helpless into her face. Too upset to recognize his voice, she sighed softly.

"No, I can not," Hinata said stiffly. "I'm sorry for crashing into you," she added instinctively, even though she personally thought that he should have apologized as well.

_RIIIIING! _

He cursed under his breath. "I'm late," he muttered gruffly. He didn't say anything further, but she knew that he was giving her an accusing gaze.

Hinata didn't say anything and put her broken glasses and the fragments she managed to pick up into the pocket of her parka. Then she concentrated on feeling around for her books. She managed to gather all of them up. Meanwhile, she noticed that he was still there.

"You should go now," Hinata said finally, staring intently at him through narrow eyes. She could make out the outline of slightly spiky, black hair and loose, dark clothing. Hinata racked her brain for any boys with dark hair, but could find none that fit the description of this boy.

Actually, he could be anybody. Yet his deep voice and his demeanor strongly reminded her of somebody...

He scoffed lightly, interrupting her troubled thoughts. "And you?"

"I...I guess I'll have to go to the office." Hinata bit her lower lip anxiously. "It's okay, though," she said quickly, forcing a weak smile. "I know my way around. It might be a bit difficult for me without my glasses, but I'll manage."

"Don't be stupid. I'll take you there."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Wh-what?"

He scoffed again. "Well, I'm going to need an excuse for being tardy," he explained hastily.

Hinata frowned, both relieved and annoyed. "I don't want to cause you any trouble..." she mumbled uncomfortably, pressing her books more tightly against her chest.

"You already did when you crashed into me and made me tardy," he responded coldly. "C'mon, let's go."

Talk about rude. Hinata hunched up her shoulders, but reluctantly followed behind. What other choice did she have? Still, she didn't like his attitude. What was his problem, anyway?

"You won't be tripping over things, right?" he asked suspiciously, glancing at her over his shoulder.

"U-um...well...I'll manage."

They walked on in silence.

"Watch out - "

His warning came too late. She stepped forward with her right foot, expecting solid ground, yet she felt nothing but air. She gasped in horrified surprise as she fell, and she closed her eyes tightly, bracing for the pain -

What happened next was unexpected. An arm circled around her waist firmly, keeping her from falling. Realizing that he had just caught her and saved her from a painful experience, she let out a long exhalation of relief.

She felt safe in his strong grasp; she knew he would never let her fall. That knowledge made a warm, tingling sensation build up inside her stomach. She sucked in her breath and bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from saying or doing anything stupid in this situation.

They stayed in that position for a short moment. When would the silence be broken? she wondered, her face heating up furiously and her heart pounding in her ribs.

"I told you to watch out, you know." Something about his voice made it obvious that he was smirking.

She flinched, embarassed at her own clumsiness. "I-I'm sorry."

Now that she studied her surroundings, she realized there were stairs here. She had forgotten that on this floor, there were stairs. She blushed, for she had made such a fool of herself.

"I'm sorry," she repeated timidly. It suddenly dawned on her that that he hadn't released her yet. A funny feeling developed in her stomach, like a pack of butterflies that were freed from a net. For some reason, she hoped that he would hold her just a bit longer. It made her feel like she actually belonged to someone...someone who cared...

He sighed heavily. "Forget it. It's no big deal."

Maybe he was a nice guy, after all, Hinata thought, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"It just goes to show how completely helpless you are without your glasses."

Her smile was immediately replaced with an embarassed frown. She took it back! What a complete a$$hole!

"Thank you...for being so...blunt," she mumbled under her breath, her face turning as red as a ripe tomato.

"Hn..." Hinata looked up at him and tried to focus on his face. Was he smiling? She couldn't tell. It had _sounded _like he somewhat laughed.

There was an awkward silence. Hinata noticed that he was _still _holding her.

"Umm...I'm okay now. Can you...um...let go of me?"

He obeyed her request and removed his arm from her waist quickly. _Too _quickly, she thought, as if he just realized he had been holding her for the past few minutes and was greatly embarassed about it. She reached out for the stair railing and grasped it tightly to steady herself, already missing his touch.

"Hmph...we've wasted five minutes already, and we're not even near the nurse's office yet. Let's not waste any more time."

She hung her head in embarassment. "I'm sorry. In that c-case," Hinata flinched and paused hesitantly, "may I...take your hand?"

She didn't know why she wanted him to say yes...but she just did.

His head whipped towards her so swiftly that she blinked in surprise. She gulped at the intent stare he gave her. "What I'm trying to say is," she tried again, "is that...I-I should take your hand because I'd be l-less likely to stumble over things. Y-You wouldn't want me to trip constantly and w-waste time, would you?"

He continued to stare, making her fidget slightly. What a pathetic excuse to use to persuade him to say yes, she thought ruefully. But something bothered her. Why did she yearn for his touch? The touch of this cold-hearted, arrogant, rude person?

She waited for his response, hoping he would answer quickly so the voices in her mind would stop shooting questions at her. He finally let out a long exhalation, and made that sound again. "Hn."

It sounded like he was smiling. _Was _he? Hinata stared hard at his face, yet she couldn't tell.

"If you insist." He turned his back on her and made that sound yet again. "It just goes to show how completely helpless you are without your glasses," he repeated in a slightly smug tone.

This remark caused her face to heat up once again. What an arrogant jerk. She smiled, nonetheless.

She took a deep breath, then her hand reached out for his. Her hand closed around...a cold one.

...Cold?

She blinked in surprise. His hand was cold. That is, his hand had sent a cold sting through hers for an instant. For a few seconds, she had been holding a cold hand that reminded her of someone, yet now, it was slowly warming up.

"Watch your step," he warned her calmly before leading her down the stairs.

Hinata's brow furrowed in thought. It couldn't be, she thought to herself. It couldn't be..._Sasuke? _

But that cold feeling she had felt when she touched his hand was exactly what she felt when she brushed against his hand the other day at the library. Now that she thought about it, the attitude, the appearance (from what she could tell,) the voice of this person...they all seemed to belong to Sasuke.

Why would Sasuke go through the trouble of helping her? Even if it _was _to get an excuse to be tardy...

It just didn't seem like him to go out of his way to help someone, even if it was for his own benefit. Hinata frowned. Was she really holding Uchiha Sasuke's hand right now? Perhaps...it was someone else? Someone else who had Sasuke's voice, hairstyle, and demenaor?

Hinata shook her head and wondered why she was thinking so negatively of him. Before she didn't know who this person was, she craved for his touch and found him intriguing...and now that she realized who he was, all of those feelings were slowly fading.

_What's wrong with me? _she thought miserably. First, she had just thought he was your average stuck-up pretty boy that made girls open their mouths to let their drool flow out. Then, when she had touched him in the library, she wanted to be close to him. Just before, she had yearned for him to hold her longer and allow her to hold his hand. And now...she was wishing that it wasn't he, but someone else. Someone like...

...Someone like _Naruto. _

She blinked hard, feeling a tingly pain behind her eyes. Naruto...why was she thinking about him now? Hadn't she promised herself long ago that she would give up on him? What was the point of continuing to love him? She couldn't compete against the girl who held his heart. She couldn't compete against Sakura...fierce, wild, and beautiful Sakura...

"Oh, my...! Is that you - Uchiha-san, Hyuuga-san?"

Hinata looked up in surprise. She hadn't realized that they had reached the office already. She squinted and could make out the outline of a woman in white. Even though she couldn't make out any distinguishing features, she could tell that it was the school nurse, Shizune, by her voice. Tsunade, the headmistress, was not present. She was probably in the gym with the whole school, Hinata thought.

"What happened?" Shizune asked worriedly, clasping her hands in front of her as she glanced questioningly from Sasuke to Hinata.

The pale-eyed Hyuuga opened her mouth to speak, but Sasuke cut in. "Her glasses broke," he explained shortly, "and she can't see anything without them."

"Oh, my...that _is _a problem." Shizune turned to Hinata. "Unfortunately, Hyuuga-san, I'm not an optometrist. Well..." Shizune sighed, her voice trailing off.

"So she's going to be walking around blind for the rest of the school day?" Sasuke said stonily.

"Well, Uchiha-san, I guess that will be the case..._unless_..." Shizune's eyes lit up hopefully.

"...Unless...?"

"Unless you agree to take Hyuuga-san around for the day. You have the same classes as her for today, don't you? I noticed that when I was helping Genma-san post up the schedules."

"How very observant of you," Sasuke mumbled sarcastically.

Shizune ignored his remark. "So, Uchiha-san, will you?" the young woman demanded, turning her head towards Sasuke. "You only need to take Hyuuga-san to her classes and to her locker, and wherever - you know, so she won't get hurt - "

Shizune caught the look of disbelief on Sasuke's face and frowned disapprovingly. "It _is _only for today, Uchiha-san," she reminded him stiffly, "but if you don't wish to, I'm sure we can arrange for someone else to take her around. Maybe Naruto-kun - oh, that boy is rather charming..."

Shizune went on talking, yet her words were lost to Hinata's ears, for the moment she spoke Naruto's name, Hinata's heart froze and time seemed to stop.

_"She's weird and too quiet..." _

_"She's not my type!"_

_**"I like Sakura-chan." **_

Her headache increased unexpectedly and rapidly. She could feel sweat dripping down the back of her neck, and her lungs were simply not functioning. Short and deep gasps for breath escaped her lips continuously, and her vision was growing hazy and a sick kind of yellow. Unknowingly, she grasped onto Sasuke's hand more tightly.

_No...! Naruto...why? Why...? _

"...Hyuuga-san...?"

She heard Shizune's voice, and even though she wasn't looking at Shizune or Sasuke, she could tell that they were staring at her.

At that moment, she felt everything drain out of her entire body. She fell against Sasuke, her shoulders heaving as she leaned onto Sasuke for support, practically digging her nails into the fabric of his shirt.

"Hyuuga-san! Are you all right?" Shizune cried out, alarmed. Hinata could feel Shizune grasp her shoulder and shake her desperately. "What's wrong?"

Hinata only had the strength to lift her head and look into Sasuke's blurred face. "H-he..nggnhh..." she murmured weakly, her words slurred as if she were some old woman that had been drinking too much beer. Naruto's name escaped her lips, barely audible. The last thing she saw was Sasuke's blurry face before she passed out...

Yet deep within her subconscious, repeating itself like a mantra, was...

_"She's weird and too quiet..." _

_"She's not my type!"_

_**"I like Sakura-chan." **_

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Nngnnh..."

Hinata opened her eyes slowly, finding it difficult to adjust to the bright light. Where was she? she wondered drowsily.

"You're awake, Hyuuga-san." Shizune's hazy face swam into view. "Are you okay? Can you stand up?"

"Umm..." Hinata slowly got up into a sitting position, feeling surprisingly fine. "I...I think I'm okay."

"I was really worried. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I feel better now." Hinata looked around, surveying her surroundings. "How long have I been here?"

"About seven minutes or so."

Hinata continued to scan the room. Something was missing, she realized. Then she remembered.

"Uchiha-san...! Where - "

"Oh, he left a while ago. Funny thing is, after we got you onto the cot, he stayed and watched over you. I even tried convincing him to go to his homeroom, but he refused. He could have chosen to leave, but he didn't. When Tsunade came back from the morning meeting...oh, you should have seen her face! She was so surprised!

"After a while, Tsunade-sama persuaded him to go back to his first period class and wrote him a tardy slip. Yet the strangest thing was...he looked like he didn't want to leave you. Maybe it was just my imagination." Shizune shook her head.

Hinata stared at the brunette woman, her eyes slightly widening. Had Sasuke actually been worried about her? Or perhaps did he stay only because he wanted to put off facing the humiliation of being tardy for the first time? Maybe he didn't like being obedient and refused to go only because Shizune asked him to. Whatever the reason was, Hinata couldn't help feeling happy at the thought that Sasuke actually stayed to watch over her.

Shizune tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If you feel completely better, Hyuuga-san," she said softly, "you should go to your first period class. Do you think you'll be able to?"

"I think so. I'm okay now, but..." Hinata cringed, mortified that she would have to face school without her glasses for today. It wasn't just her vision that worried her - it was what everyone would say. People would whisper as they passed by her in the halls, and they would talk behind her back in class. They'd laugh at her and find more reasons to taunt her. It was bad enough before, but now that she was helpless and blind, how much worse would it be?

"If Uchiha-san refuses to take you around, I'll escort you," Shizune offered kindly. "After school, I can take you to the optometrist."

"Oh, Shizune-san...! Will it be too much trouble?"

"Of course not! I won't mind at all," Shizune reassured firmly. "Anyway, the optometrist isn't far away. It'll be no trouble at all! So what do you say, Hyuuga-san?"

Hinata flushed. "Umm...well...thank you, Shizune-san," she stammered with a smile. "It really means a lot to me."

"It's no big deal, Hyuuga-san - "

"Shizune! I need to have a word with you!" Tsunade called out.

"Oh! I'll be there in just a second, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune answered. Then she turned her gaze to Hinata. "I'll be back in a minute, okay, Hyuuga-san?"

"Okay."

Just as Shizune left the room, the sound of the office door opening and shutting rang out.

"Ahh! You're back!" Tsunade called out, surprise evident in her voice. "What brings you here?"

"I came to check on her."

Hinata's eyes widened slightly. _Sasuke? _she thought, shocked. He came back to check on her? Maybe he felt like he was responsible for what happened. Or maybe he was really worried about her well-being.

She clutched her heart and smiled. _Sasuke..._

"How very sweet of you! My, to think that you really _do_ care - "

"I was _sent _to check on her," Sasuke cut in dryly.

Disappointment swept over Hinata, but a tiny glimmer of hope rested in her chest. He could have refused to check on her, an inner voice said reassuringly. He wouldn't have wasted energy and time on someone he couldn't care less about. The thought pleased Hinata.

"Oh. Ah, well, it can't be helped," Tsunade muttered under her breath, apparantly disappointed as well. "Well, I can't blame Kurenai for being concerned. After all, she thinks of Hinata-chan as her own daughter. Okay, then, go check on Hinata-chan and go back to class."

A short moment later, Sasuke entered the room. He looked at Hinata. "You're awake," he stated calmly.

"Yes."

There was an awkward silence. The chatter of Shizune and Tsunade echoed in the background.

"Is Kurenai-sensei worried about me?" Hinata asked finally, wondering why she asked a question that had such an obvious answer. Why else would Kurenai send Sasuke to the office?

"Apparantly so." Sasuke was quiet for a moment. "Do you pass out often?"

"A-ah...well..." Hinata bit her lip anxiously and averted his knowing eyes. She couldn't say that she passed out because she had been thinking about _him. _"I pass out easily...not often, but easily," Hinata explained nonchalantly, faking a reassuring smile.

"I see." His tone told her that he didn't believe her lies. "Will you be able to go back to class?"

"I think so. I'm fine now."

"I see." Sasuke looked away and jammed his hands into his pocket. "I've decided...that I'm going to be your eyes."

Hinata stared at him, her eyes widening. "Wh-what?" she sputtered in disbelief.

"I'm going to be your eyes," he repeated, "_for today_."

"B-but...why?" She continued to gape at him, wondering who had brainwashed him. Sasuke would never willingly help someone. Perhaps Tsunade had persuaded him?

"Do I need a reason why?" he snapped. "Anyway, I _do _have a conscience, you know. Letting a helpless person run around blind is rather cruel, even for me."

"B-but...it'd be too much trouble for you, wouldn't it?"

"I'm in all of your classes, so it's not like it's a big deal. But if you insist, I'll allow you to go through school blind today."

"N-no...that's not what I mean." Hinata flushed and clasped her hands upon her lap. "I'm just...sur-surprised that you would willingly offer to help me."

"Oh...I get it." Sasuke turned his back on her and his bangs dangled loosely as he dipped his head low. "You think I'm a cold-hearted person who cares about nobody but himself?"

"N-no! That's definitely not what I mean!" Hinata gasped, shocked. What was he trying to say?

"Well, you're right. I _am _a cold-hearted person who cares about nobody but himself." Sasuke turned his head slightly and stared at her over his shoulder. She couldn't see his expression, but she knew that his eyes were accusing her.

He opened his mouth to say something, but clamped his mouth shut, as if he changed his mind.

"I'll be waiting outside."

And without another word, he left, leaving Hinata wondering.

**xXxXxXx**

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Hyuuga-san?"

"I'll be just fine."

"You say Uchiha-san agreed to be your eyes for today?" Shizune's tone was doubtful, as if she didn't believe her.

"Yes, he did. But...I think I may be a burden to him." Hinata looked down at her hands uncomfortably. "Perhaps I should decline his offer..."

"Don't worry, Hyuuga-san. You won't be a burden," she reassured kindly. "If Uchiha-san knew you'd be a burden to him, he wouldn't have offered to be your eyes, would he?"

"I suppose so." Hinata smiled back weakly.

"Oh. Here's the tardy slip that Tsunade-sama wrote for you. Give it to Kurenai-san." Shizune handed Hinata a piece of paper.

"Okay. Thank you." Hinata accepted it and said goodbye to both Shizune and Tsunade before walking out the door. He was there, his rigid back to her, his hands jammed into his pockets. She swallowed and mustered up the courage to speak.

"You didn't have to wait for me, Uchiha-san."

He didn't say anything. Hinata looked down at the ground uncomfortably, clutching the strap of her backpack tightly. _Did I hurt him somehow? _she wondered miserably, a mixture of self-anger and regret settling into the pit of her heart.

"Uchiha-san...if you're angry with me, I apologize. I-I didn't mean to upset you - "

"What are you rambling on about? I'm not angry." Sasuke turned his head and stared at her over his shoulder.

Hinata swallowed hard. "Y-you...seemed upset before. I thought I offended you somehow," she explained shakily, clasping her hands before her and averting his eyes nervously. "I-if I did, Uchiha-san...I really am s-sorry - "

"Quit apologizing," Sasuke cut her off testily. "It's nothing, all right? Now, can we get back to class or are we going to stay here all day?"

She stared at him. _He's still upset_, she realized, dismayed. She looked down at her hands in frustration. What had she done wrong?

She hesitantly took his hand. Surprisingly, he didn't jerk his hand away, considering that he was still angry with her about something she didn't know about.

That stinging chill surged from his hand again, yet just as before, his hand began to slowly gain heat. How strange, Hinata thought.

They walked silently down corridors and trotted up stairs to get to the third floor. After a few moments, they swept down the hallway where their homeroom was located. Echoing footsteps rang in the corridor as Sasuke led Hinata to their first period class. Sasuke reached out his free hand and opened the sliding doors with ease. All heads in the classroom turned at the noise and the entire room went quiet. Astonished whispers and gasps burst throughout the classroom.

Hinata frowned. What was all the fuss about? she wondered, puzzled.

She managed to pick up a few whispers from the farthest end in the room - _"Oh, my gosh...are they going out? She's holding his hand and he's not pushing her away!" _

Then it dawned on Hinata. They were whispering about _her _holding _his _hand! Hinata quickly released Sasuke's hand and, blushing out of humiliatation and embarrassment, clasped her hands behind her, pretending to be interested in the design of her shoes.

"You're back." Kurenai finally spoke. "Thank you for bringing Hinata back, Uchiha. You may sit down - "

Sasuke and Hinata both automatically moved towards their seats.

" - but Hinata, I need to speak with you."

There was a sudden silence before everyone began whispering again. Sasuke walked casually back to his seat and sat down, ignoring the stares and murmurs that surrounded him.

Kurenai walked towards Hinata and gently took her arm to lead her out of the classroom, where they would not be disturbed. Kurenai looked down at Hinata, yet even though her teacher's looked like a blurred, strangely shaped object, Hinata could tell she was frowning in that way of hers when she was most distressed.

"Hinata...you'll be all right, won't you?"

Hinata nodded. "I'll be all right, Kurenai-sensei. I - "

"How in the world did you break your glasses?" Kurenai inquired curiously, cutting her pupil off mid-sentence. "Tsunade-sama told me that you broke your glasses, yet she didn't know why. She told me that if I wanted to know, I'd have to ask you."

For some reason, Kurenai's tone made Hinata feel nervous.

"I-I...well, I woke up l-late today," Hinata explained uneasily, fiddling with her fingers, "and umm...I was in a hurry and I...um...ran into Uchiha-san." She cringed, waiting for her sensei to response.

"...You ran into Uchiha?" Kurenai repeated slowly. A low sigh of disbelief escaped her lips. "There must have been a very forceful collision if your glasses broke. How bad is your vision now?"

"U-um...I-I...w-well..." Hinata gulped, wringing her hands.

Kurenai sighed again, sensing her student's discomfort. "Hinata," she spoke softly, her voice losing its sharp edge from before, "I'm not scolding you. I apologize if I seem like I am...but really, I'm just worried. I only want to know the situation. So please don't feel like you're in trouble."

Hinata's hunched shoulders sagged in relief. So Kurenai wasn't upset with her, after all.

"How bad is your vision now, Hinata?" Kurenai repeated.

"Um...well, everything I see is blurry and unclear. But," she added quickly, "I'm quite familiar with the school, so I think I'll manage to get around."

"Is that so? Even if you're familiar with your surroundings, something might happen to you."

"Uchiha-san offered to be my eyes until my glasses are repaired," Hinata offered reassuringly.

At this, Kurenai stiffened. Hinata's calmness was replaced with worried dismay. What was Kurenai upset about now?

"..._Uchiha..._he..._offered _to help you?" The words tumbled out one by one in such a dangerously low tone that Hinata once again became nervous.

"U-um...ye-yes, he did. I think...it was rather kind of him to do so - "

Kurenai laughed dryly, interrupting her pupil. "Uchiha? Kind?" Kurenai repeated, her voice dripping with both amusement and disgust. "I think not. I doubt he'd _willingly _help anyone. You know how he is. He's a cold-hearted person who cares for nobody but himself."

Hinata froze. _"You think I'm a cold-hearted person who cares about nobody but himself? Well, you're right. I _am _a cold-hearted person who cares for nobody but himself." _

Hinata looked down at the ground and her eyes softened. Aside from the people who admired him, were there others that thought of him that way? Hinata remembered she had used to think of him that way. Yet now, she wasn't so sure anymore. If he really did care about only himself, why would he go out of his way to help her?

One thing was for sure...Uchiha Sasuke was misunderstood. How sad it must be for him, to be so misunderstood...

"Hinata, do you believe Uchiha intends to help you out of kindness?" Kurenai questioned. "I'm surprised he _offered _to do so in the first place. You're better off not associating with him. Why not let Sakura or Ino be your eyes?"

"I _would _do that, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata mumbled quietly, "but it'd be more convienent if Uchiha-san helped me, instead, because he's in all of my classes. But...Kurenai-sensei...I think you're being too...too..._harsh _on Uchiha-san."

Hinata could sense the disbelief and stun in Kurenai's intense gaze. She was surprised herself. Why was she defending Sasuke?

"You see, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata continued slowly, trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words, "I...I know that Uchiha-san may seem cold-hearted and bitter...but really, he's just...sorrowful inside. I think he's just lonely...and he longs to be understood."

Kurenai was silent for a long time that Hinata was worried that she had felt offended at Hinata's contradiction. Finally, a hollow laugh escaped Kurenai's lips.

"How wise of you, Hinata. Perhaps I have misjudged Uchiha. However," she paused, "I believe the only reason he feels that no one understands him is because he won't _let _them. Personally, I feel it's his own fault he feels so...ah, _lonely. _You may choose to waste your pity on him and try to get him to open up to you, but your efforts will be in vain. He'll never open up to anyone."

Hinata swallowed hard. Why did Kurenai think so lowly of Sasuke? "K-Kurenai-sensei..."

"Ahh...we've been out here for almost five minutes already," Kurenai interrupted casually. "I just wanted to know if you'll be all right. Let's get back to class, shall we?''

Realizing that Kurenai did not want to dwell on the subject of Sasuke any longer, Hinata nodded and followed Kurenai into the classroom, feeling utterly defeated.

**xXxXxXx**

"What happened, Hinata-chan?'' Sakura whispered, as soon as Hinata had taken her seat and sank low into her chair, aware of all the attention everyone was giving her.

"I-it wasn't anything. Kurenai-sensei just wanted to speak to me." Hinata smiled weakly, looking at Sasuke from the corner of her eye and wondering how he could remain calm when everyone was staring and whispering about him.

"No, not _that._" Sakura shook her head vigurously. "I mean, why weren't you here this morning?"

"We were really worried," Ino added.

"And how does Sasuke-kun fit into all of - " Sakura was cut off in mid-sentence when Kurenai called for attention.

"Students, we shall resume class." Her disapproving, sharp tone quieted the class, and no one spoke a word throughout the entire period. Yet here and then, even though Hinata stared down at her desk the entire time, she could tell that her classmates were exchanging suspicious glances.

**xXxXxXx **

As soon as the bell rang, everyone started to talk again. Several people headed out the door, but most of the class stayed and did what they usually did. Occasionally, girls would pass by Hinata, mutter under their breaths, and give Hinata what seemed to be dark glares, to which Hinata ducked her head and tried to ignore the burning tingle that shivered down her spine.

"C'mon, Hinata-chan, spill the beans already!" Sakura asked as soon as she and Ino came back from the restroom.

"Yeah, we're really curious, y'know!" Ino chimed in.

Hinata groaned inwardly, wondering how long it'd take before everyone dropped the subject and left her alone about it. Not wanting to look dismayed, she faked a smile. ''O-oh...I woke up really late - " she tried to explain.

"You woke up late?" Sakura repeated, shocked. "I never thought _you_, of all people - "

Ino saw the way Hinata hunched up her shoulders and hung her head in shame. "_Sakura,_" the blonde warned, giving her pink-haired friend a disapproving look.

Sakura finally noticed how uncomfortable Hinata was. "Oh, sorry, Hinata-chan! I didn't mean it in a _bad _way!" she tried to reassure. "I was just...surprised. Anyway, go on!"

"Umm...before I go on...can I ask a favor?"

"Hm? Oh, sure!"

"Can you copy down the homework for me? I can't..." Hinata mumbled, too embarrassed to continue further.

"Huh? You mean you can't - oh!" Sakura stared at Hinata in shocked wonder. "I never noticed...you don't have your glasses on! Why aren't you wearing them?"

"W-well...since I was late, I was in a hurry to get to class...and I ran into Uchiha-san - "

Some girls overhead this and, as they passed by the three, they gave Hinata what seemed to be a mean glare. "Oh, so _you're _the reason why poor Sasuke-kun was tardy," one of them said cruedly. "Go figure."

They walked off, muttering to each other and staring at Hinata over their shoulders. Sakura's brow furrowed as she glared after the three. Ino did likewise.

"Forget those jerks, Hinata-chan. It could have happened to _anyone_." Sakura turned to smile reassuringly at the white-eyed Hyuuga.

"Hah, they're probably just jealous because you got to have some alone time with him!" Ino joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Sakura jotted down the assignment in Hinata's agenda and smiled. "There you go!"

"Th-thank you."

"What were you saying before you were so rudely interrupted?" Ino asked curiously.

"I ran into Uchiha-san," Hinata repeated patiently, "and my glasses broke. And...well, you know how bad my vision is without my glasses..." Hinata's voice drifted off, and she looked down at the ground, flushing in embarrassment.

"Aww...that's too bad. When are your glasses going to be repaired?" Sakura asked.

"Shizune-san offered to take me to the optometrist after school to get my glasses repaired."

''Oh, that's good. The faster your glasses get fixed, the better!" Ino said. Sakura nodded in agreement. Suddenly, they gasped in unison. That wasn't all. The entire room was as quiet as a tombstone.

Hinata opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, yet she froze when someone spoke from behind her.

"Well...I see you're coming along just fine without me."

She gasped under her breath, dumbstruck, and her eyes widened. She whirled slowly, finding herself face to face with Sasuke. "U-Uchiha-san?"

"You really aren't as helpless as I thought you were." Sasuke smirked. Sighs rang throughout the room and girls began to gush about how hot he looked when he smirked.

Hinata then realized that everyone's attention was directed to her, now that Sasuke was speaking to her. She flushed furiously and ducked her head to hide her face.

"I-I'm not," she managed to muster stiffly.

"Hn. So I guess you won't be needing me then."

"I...I think I can manage by myself. But," she added quickly, aware of the cold stare he was giving her, as well as the shocked gasps and unbelieving murmurs of the girls in the room, "if you f-feel obliged to help, y-you may.''

Trying to hide her discomfort with a cool, detached demeanor, she turned around and stared into her desk, looking for her chemistry textbooks. She realized in annoyed disgust that she couldn't recognize which textbook was for which subject!

"You can't recognize which are your chemistry books, I presume?"

Hinata flinched. How did he know? Remembering Shizune's words, she realized that Sasuke was in all of her classes today. She remained silent, uncertain of what to say or what actions to take.

"Let me get your books for you."

Instinctively, Hinata moved aside for Sasuke to get through. He rummaged through her desk and grabbed several books. People were still staring and whispering, to the dismay of the Hyuuga. She kept her eyes on the ground and mumbled under her breath.

"Th-thank you."

She reached out her arms to take them, but was surprised when she waited for a few moments and he did not place the books in her arms. She gave him a questioning look, to which he, shockingly, calmly responded.

"I'll carry them for you."

There was an uproar. Guys exchanged shocked glances, bombarding each other with questions like "Uchiha is carrying books for _that _girl, but not for the other hundred or so hot chicks in this school?!" On the other hand, the girls were more shocked and stunned by this. Yet soon enough, their surprise changed to anger.

"What did that freak do to Sasuke-kun?!"

"Sasuke-kun would _never _carry books for someone like _her _unless he was brainwashed!"

"Look at her - trying to act all sweet and cute!"

"She doesn't even like him!"

"She likes that idiot Uzumaki Naruto!"

Her eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped from her lips. _No...why does everyone insist on embedding him into my mind and deepening the scar in my heart? _

Her shoulders stiffened at the name, and once again, that cold feeling was settling into her body again. She clenched her fists tightly, her petite body shaking slightly. Tears were threatening to come out of her eyes, but she was determined to hide those hideous, teary orbs behind her bangs.

"Let's go. It's too crowded here."

There were more mutters at this. Somehow, her feet were able to move. She followed Sasuke, her heart pounding in her ears so loudly that it almost blocked out the loud murmurs. The bell signaled the end of break, slicing through the hollowness in her mind. She didn't know if she could survive through a day of this.

**xXxXxXx**

"And so..." Hayate finished writing on the chalkboard and paused to cough several times. He turned to face his pupils and coughed again. "Can anyone answer this question?"

No hands were raised. Hayate coughed, scanning the classroom for a random student to call on. His eyes fell upon Hinata, and he recognized her family name by the color of her eyes. A Hyuuga, he presumed silently. She was surely smart enough to answer the question.

Hinata could see that his head was turned towards her direction. Yet no matter how much she tried to tell herself that he was probably looking at someone behind her, she knew, deep down, he was looking straight at her and intended to call her.

She imagined what would happen. She would remain silent, staring at him like a stupid fool, for she couldn't see what he had written on the board. He would press her - press her until she admitted why she she could not answer the question. Everyone would jeer, whisper, laugh at her...

Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of movement sliced through the air. She turned her head - and her eyes widened. Sasuke was raising his hand.

Everyone began to murmur. Sasuke _never _raised his hand.

Hayate blinked, thinking the same thing as his pupils. "Yes - ahem...Uchiha?" he said carefully.

"I know the answer to the question."

Hayate coughed several times before he spoke again. ''All right. Please stand up and answer in a," he coughed into the back of his hand, "a clear and loud voice."

Sasuke slowly rose to his feet. "Yes, precipitation will occur," Sasuke said in a monotone, "if a small amount of sodium hydroxide and a large amount of calcium hydroxide are mixed together in solution in an air tight tank. If you put solid Ca(OH)2 into water, both processes run at once. Eventually, a balance is struck between the two, and solid forms at exactly the same rate that it dissolves. There will be no apparent change in the amount of solid or in the concentrations of the calcium and hydroxide ions in the tank at that point. Equilibrium has been established.

"Dumping more hydroxide ions into the solution will upset that equilibrium. More hydroxide ions mean more encounters between between calcium and hydroxide ions in solution, so more solid calcium hydroxide will form in the first process. The extra hydroxide won't directly affect the second process; it runs at the same rate as before. The net result is that some of the calcium hydroxide precipitates."

Hayate blinked. Wow, he thought, did the kid swallow an encyclopedia or something? Nonetheless, he smiled and nodded.

"Good. You may sit down."

Sasuke resumed his seat quietly, looking as if this wasn't anything unusual.

"Now - " Hayate coughed into the back of his hand again - "take out your notebooks. You'll be taking some notes before we do an experiment regarding the question Uchiha just answered."

Hayate waited for his students to take out their notebooks before he picked up his chalk and wrote on the board.

Mortified, Hinata stared down at her notebook, her pencil posed over what she assumed was a blank page. How could she take notes if she couldn't read the board? Even if she knew what she was supposed to be writing, she thought it'd be almost impossible to write as though she could see perfectly well. Perhaps she could ask a classmate to take notes for her...

"I'll take notes for you, so wipe that look off your face.''

She took a sharp intake of breath and turned to stare in bewilderment at Sasuke. "U-Uchiha-san...?'' she whispered, being careful to speak in a soft voice as to not attract any attention to herself.

"It's no big deal. I told you I'd be your eyes for today, didn't I?" he muttered. "I don't go back on my words."

She couldn't think of anything else to say, except for a feeble, "Thank you." She turned away and smiled a bit.

Now she was sure - Sasuke wasn't really that bad, after all.

**xXxXxXx**

The day dragged on until lunch, with Sasuke carrying her books for her, taking notes for her, or saving her from total humiliation by participating in class and averting the teachers' attention away from her. It was still difficult for her not to feel greatly sick whenever she overheard people whispering about her, yet for Sasuke, he acted as if nothing happened. He would just calmly ignore them and continue on. How did he do it? Hinata wondered in envy.

The two went to their homeroom and took their seats. Hinata zipped open her backpack and rummaged through until she felt her _bento _box. She opened it up and, feeling quite lonely since Sakura and Ino weren't there to talk to her, took her chopsticks and began to eat her lunch silently.

Now that she thought about it, Sakura and Ino hadn't spoken to her at all after the first break. Were they angry at her for associating with the guy they liked? Would they turn their backs on her and regard her as a rival? Hinata couldn't help feeling worried.

She suddenly noticed that there was no sound of chewing beside her. Hinata looked at Sasuke. "You're not eating?" she asked curiously.

"No," he said flatly. He seemed to be working on his homework, judging from the quiet sound of a pencil against paper.

"Wh-why not? It's not healthy to starve like that, Uchiha-san." Hinata guessed that was probably the reason why he looked so thin.

"I don't need to eat during lunch."

"B-but don't you get hungry?" she asked, bewildered.

"Not really."

Suddenly, something clicked in Hinata's mind. "If y-you want, I can make lunch for you," she offered.

He seemed surprised by this, but he hid it rather well by speaking in a complete monotone. "It's not necessary."

"B-but I _want _to. Af-after all, you _are _doing me a great favor."

"It's not necessary," he repeated again.

Hinata sighed inwardly. He was so stubborn. "Why sh-should I not make lunch for you, Uchiha-san?"

"It's not necessary."

She decided to ask a different question. "Is th-there anything you like to eat, Uchiha-san?"

"I'm not particularly choosy. I can eat anything."

That wasn't the answer she was looking for. "But is there...anything in particular you enjoy?" she asked.

"Why are you asking me such questions?" he demanded stiffly, his sharp tone taking her by surprise.

"I...I just need to know what to make for you to eat tomorrow."

"...If you really need to know, I like tomatoes and _bonito_-flavored riceballs." Sasuke paused for a while. "It's not necessary to make me lunch. But if you feel obliged to, go ahead. I just won't eat it."

She sighed inwardly, frustrated. "Uchiha-san...I _insist _on you agreeing to eat what I make for you tomorrow!" she spoke softly yet firmly, somehow being able speak strongly without stuttering. "If you don't, I won't let you help me anymore. It doesn't feel right for you to help me while I do nothing in return."

The sound of his pencil writing stopped abruptly. He silently digested her words, evidently struggling on whether to say yes or no. "Hn," he finally mumbled. For a second, triumph washed over Hinata, for that response sounded like he had given in.

"What makes you think I'd give in just because of your threat to refuse to accept my help?"

Defeat washed over the Hyuuga like a tidal wave. What a stubborn -

"Fine. I accept.''

Hinata straightened up, surprised. Did he just say yes? "R-really? Do y-you mean it?" she stammered, the words tumbling out rather strangely in her excitement.

"Hn. If I eat your food tomorrow, it's almost certain that the girls won't come tackling me and screaming at me to eat _theirs._"

Come to think of it, he thought, what happened to those clingy girls? They seemed to be keeping their distance from both him and Hinata, muttering under their breaths and exchanging suspicious and dark glances. Well, that was a good thing. But he was sure that they wouldn't be staying away from him for long. They were certain to be getting over their stun and tackling him soon enough.

So that was a yes! Hinata thought happily as Sasuke's response registered into her mind. Happiness bubbled over Hinata in such a way that a tingly sensation reached all the way down to her toes.

"Th-thank you!" she found herself sputtering rather pathetically. A pleased blush crept into her pale cheeks as she smiled joyfully at him before turning back to eat from her _bento _box.

_She _was thanking _him_? Sasuke shook his head. The Hyuuga was certainly different from all of the other girls.

"Hnn...you're a strange one."

It was a pity that Hinata couldn't see...for if she could, she would have seen him smile.

**xXxXxXx**

A/N. Awww...-looks at last sentence- Now, does that sound cute, or what:)

Okay. Are the SasuHina scenes considered as 'fluffy' now? o.O I have no idea what ordinary 'fluffy but not too fluffy scenes' are. XD

Wow. Does it seem like Hinata and Sasuke are bonding already? O.o Oh, no...is the romance going to fast now? X.X;;

Also, just to let you guys know, Sasuke will have major mood swings a lot. One second, he'll be...'nice' and 'sweet', and later, he'll be cold. Heck...what can we do about it? Sasuke is Sasuke, of course. :)

Oh, btw, if you guys wondered how Sasuke and Hinata could possibly crash into each other if they're heading to the same class, it's because the boys' bathroom is at the end of one hallway. As you all know (if you read the editted first chapter) Sasuke hides there until he decides it's time to run like Rock Lee to his homeroom before the bell rings. Sooo...he comes out right as Hinata turns the corner and - BAM. Yeep. Just to clear things up. :)

If you guys also wondered how Hinata could possibly fall on TOP of Sasuke, it's because Sasuke simply steps out of the bathroom. Hinata was running, and as you know, if force comes from only from one side in a collision, they'll overpower the other side. In Hinata's case, that means 'falling on top of Sasuke." x)

The reason why Hinata is trying to give up on Naruto and gets really upset when he's around or his name is mentioned will be revealed some time later. There's more to the "Naruto-likes-Sakura-and-not-me" issue. Well...-thinks about it- The reason _does _partly have to do with that, but...well, you'll see. If you've read **The Tiger and The Chameleon**, you'll kinda get an idea. But shh...don't spoil it for anyone:)

Aaaand...oh, last thing. I think some of you may get confused by Hinata's schedule. My sis did, anyway. XD She was all, "It's kinda weird that Hinata takes Japanese even though she is Japanese, don't you think? o.O;;"

Weeell...you know how in USA we take English? Yep, so in Japan, Japanese would be something like USA's English.

My sis also asked, "Hinata's taking English? That doesn't make sense. x.x"

Okay. Well, in high school, doesn't everybody take at least one language? Correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm not in high school yet. XD Anyway, Japan does the same thing. Hinata is currently taking English. :)

Hmm...is there anything else I need to clear up? o.o;; Well, I can't think of anymore at the moment. Anyway, my sis is currently scolding me and asking why I make my author's notes so long. Well, gee...X.x;;

Don't forget to review:)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N. YAY! I didn't think I could get this up before the year ended, but I DID! YEEEEES! ­_-throws confetti in the air- _:DDD

Oh, my. I didn't intend to put that much fluffiness so soon. o.o _-looks down at the SasuHina scene- _I tried not to make Sasuke OOC, but ehh...he kinda strayed from the IC spot. _-shifty eyes- _

And...oh, my (again!) I think I made Neji a _bit _too overprotective..._-sweatdrops- _Bad Neji! He's so mean to Sasuke, lol. :)

Oh, yes, another disclaimer: I don't own the lyrics to **Sakura Drops. Hikaru Utada **does. I also don't own Hinata's haiku - I got it off this site. So please don't sue me..._-sweatdrops- _

FYI, sometimes I'll put in Japanese words simply because I think the English translation of it would sound weird in the sentence. -.-;; Ehehe...sorry about that. :P

_Gakkyuukai_- ­a short meeting after class ends, in which the teacher makes announcements

_souzi touban - _cleaning. Basically, every week, one group is assigned to clean up the school - as in, wiping the blackboards, cleaning the desks, sweeping the floor, etc. The funny and sad thing I find about _souzi touban _is that every quarter (I think,) there is a BIG cleaning - as in, cleaning the bathrooms and the toilets (ewwww.) Poor Japanese people. Dx

_Aikido - _a defensive type of martial arts (a somewhat painful one, might I add x.x _-cringes at the memory-_)

A big thanks to all those who reviewed, gave encouragement, and gave constructive criticism! I very much appreciate it! ­_-HUGE grin- _:D

**xXxXx**

_RIIIIIING! _

"Remember that your projects are due Friday! Class is dismissed only after _Gakkyuukai_!" Tsunami announced.

The class stood up and bowed as Tsunami left the room. Kurenai entered the room and the class bowed again before sitting down, waiting impatiently for Kurenai to finish _Gakkyukai. _

"I have some announcements to make. First of all, you can sign up for after school activities tomorrow. There is a list of the activities you can choose from, which we had went over a few days after the entrance ceremony." Kurenai nodded to the list near the blackboard. "As you know, it isn't required of you to join a club, but it is somewhat necessary. And...let's see...I suppose that's all. Class is dismissed!"

The class stood up and bowed. Since it wasn't their turn to do _souzi touban _that week, most of the students in that homeroom merely got their school things and went straight to the school courtyard. Others got up to look at the list of school activities.

Hinata would have joined the group of people looking at the list of activities, but she wouldn't have been able to read the list. So she got her school things and walked out with the rest of her classmates.

Her heart sank for the thousandth time that day as she overheard several girls mutter darkly to each other about how this and that she was for hanging around with Sasuke.

"Am I going to have to walk you home?" Sasuke's stiff voice sliced through her troubled thoughts.

Hinata blinked. "N-no! My cousin will walk me home..." she said hurriedly.

"I see."

Her eyes enlightened as she noticed a splotch of bright pink and radiant yellow nearby. Were they Sakura and Ino? It was kind of hard to tell, yet the knowledge that Sakura was the only one in school with pink hair wiped away her doubt.

"A-ahh...thank you very much for your help today, Uchiha-san." Hinata bowed to him. "I'll be going now."

"Wait."

She turned back. "Yes?"

"How long does it usually take for the optometrist to repair glasses?"

"Well...the time it takes to repair them varies," she explained, "depending on how badly the glasses are broken. It usually takes about two to four days, but judging from how badly my glasses are broken..." Hinata's voice trailed off, and a small wince crept along the corner of Hinata's lips. She didn't even want to think about it. Hopefully, it wouldn't take _too _long for her glasses to get repaired.

"I thought so." It sounded like he was tearing a piece of paper. "What's your phone number...?" he mumbled under his breath, so softly that she could barely hear him.

If Hinata weren't so sophisticated and refined, her mouth would have crashed to the ground. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just ask for her phone number?!

Hinata quickly regained her composure. "U-um...why do you need it?" she asked curiously.

She wasn't thinking that he was going to ask her out or anything like that, but the thought of _him_, the most popular guy in school, being interested enough to ask to ask _her _for her phone number was simply shocking.

"Homework," he muttered flatly, his voice still as quiet as it was before.

_The _Sasuke Uchiha asking _her_ for help?! Okay, this was just WEIRD. Hinata gazed at him wildly, her eyes blinking stupidly.

"Oh...do you need me to help you with homework?"

An exasperated sigh left his lips as he shook his head. "_No,_" he said irritated, amazingly still being able to speak in a quiet voice. "You obviously can't do your homework, so I'm going to have to help you. I'm the only one who has all six classes with you, remember?"

"Oh." Hinata felt like a complete idiot. No _wonder _he was speaking so softly, she thought. He didn't want to draw any more attention. There would certainly be uproar if everyone found out that he asked for her phone number.

"Here." Sasuke placed a sticky note and a pen into her hands. "If anyone overhears you telling me your number...well, you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"

Hinata shook her head obediently and squatted, balancing the piece of paper carefully and using her lap as a flat surface. She wrote down her phone number slowly, as if afraid that if she wrote it quickly, she would write it messily, which would, of course, amuse him and probably goad him to say, _"It just goes to show how completely helpless you are without your glasses." _

She quickly rose to her feet and handed him back the pen and sticky note. He silently accepted it and placed it in his pocket.

"I'll call you around a quarter to four."

"All right. Thank you for your help today." Hinata bowed respectfully again.

"Hnnn."

Hinata turned her back on him and headed straight towards Sakura and Ino. As she got closer to them, she could hear them talking. Now she was absolutely sure they were Sakura and Ino, judging from their rather high-pitched and cheerful voices.

''Sakura-chan, Ino-chan!" she called out to them happily.

They turned and stared at her silently. They looked at each other, and then back at her. The expressions on their face were unclear to her, yet Hinata had the feeling they were giving her a very strange stare.

"Yes?" Sakura said slowly.

Hinata bit the inside of her lip anxiously. They seemed pretty upset with her, she thought miserably. What had she gotten herself into? First, the whole school, and now her best friends?

"I-I'm sorry...!" she managed to apologize, ducking her head in sheepish misery. "I know y-you two must be upset with m-me for b-being with Uchiha-san...b-but -"

"Ohh...that?" Sakura and Ino looked at each other again. "Well...we _were _kind of surprised at that," Sakura admitted, "but we're not angry at you. We were just too shocked to speak to you, that's all."

"Yeah," Ino agreed, nodding her head. "Sorry if you were worried about that."

"Yeah, sorry," Sakura repeated. Yet for some odd reason, Hinata couldn't help feeling that there was a bit of uncertainty in her friends' voices.

"Ah! There you are, Hyuuga-san!"

Hinata turned around and smiled at the brown-haired woman rushing up to her. "Shizune-san!" she exclaimed, relieved.

"Hyuuga-san, I have some bad news."

Hinata's heart sank heavily and her smile faded. "What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

Shizune spoke hesitantly. "W-well...something came up, so now I can't take you to the optometrist."

"O-oh...I see." Like a balloon losing air, happiness was fading quickly from Hinata's heart. She smiled weakly. "It's all right, Shizune-san," she mumbled, unsure if it really was all right. "I can ask Neji-niisan to take me. Anyway, I have to go get my prescription from home."

"...Oh." Shizune's voice sounded awkward when she said this. "Okay!" Shizune smiled brightly. "Well, sorry again, Hyuuga-san! I'll be going now!"

Shizune bid her farewell before leaving. Hinata looked back at Sakura and Ino. They hadn't said a word at all. Finally, Sakura spoke up, breaking the long and uncomfortable silence.

"Well, Ino-chan, shall we look at the list of after school activities? I think there's less people crowding around it now."

"Okay."

Hinata couldn't help feeling a stab of pain in her heart. It seemed as if they were trying to purposely make her feel left out. "U-umm...Sakura-chan, Ino-chan?" she murmured weakly. "Can I go with you? I...I need someone to read the after school activities for me..."

"Oh. Where's Sasuke-kun?" Sakura responded curiously, doubtfully.

"I...I believe he went home."

"Oh." Ino sounded surprised. "Okay, then. C'mon."

Hinata couldn't help but notice the discomfort in Ino's tone. Together, they went to their classroom and Sakura slowly read off the list.

**Athletic Clubs**

**Baseball **

**Basketball **

**Soccer**

**Tennis **

**Swimming**

**Table Tennis**

**Kendo **

**Judo **

**Softball **

**Volleyball **

**Gymnastics**

**Track and Field **

**Non-Athletic Clubs**

**Calligraphy **

**Music **

**Art **

**Drama**

**English**

**Reading **

**Sewing **

**Flower Arrangement **

**Tea Ceremony**

"I'm _so _going to pick flower arrangement!" Ino declared.

"Really? That sucks because I want to pick art, tennis, or tea ceremony!" Sakura sighed heavily. "I'm not really interested in flower arrangement."

"Why not?" Ino sounded offended.

"Err...well, flowers are great and all, but I'm not that interested in flower arrangement. Anyway, it's not much of a big deal if we join different clubs, right?"

"Yeahh...guess so!" Ino agreed.

"Hmmm...I can't choose between art, tennis, and tea ceremony..." Sakura's voice drifted off thoughtfully.

"Well, you have until tomorrow to think about it," Ino reassured.

"Yeah, guess so."

They were still acting as if Hinata were not there. Hinata couldn't bring herself to look at them, even if she couldn't see them clearly. _I guess...I should leave now, _she thought sadly.

"Bye, Sakura-chan, Ino-chan."

And saying so, Hinata turned to leave. They didn't even return the farewell.

**xXxXx**

"So, what happened?"

"It didn't work out. I guess she feels that she can handle the situation pretty much by herself."

"Hmph...I see." Dark red lips parted to release a long sigh and a mug of coffee was raised to those full, cherry red lips.

"She doesn't seem to need his help, but it's strange that she accepted it anyway. What's more strange, he doesn't seem to mind helping her." There was a short pause. "Are you planning something?"

"Hmm...maybe. It's been a while since I've felt this motivated."

"But...why?"

The crimson lips parted once more to let out an amused laugh. "Isn't it obvious?"

**xXxXx**

Hinata gazed glumly about. She hadn't thought Sakura and Ino would turn their backs on her so suddenly. A pang of loneliness surged through her heart.

"I...I guess," Hinata sighed softly, trying to take her mind off the two, "I should be looking for Neji-niisan..."

No sooner had she spoke those words, Neji's voice rang out behind her. "Hinata-sama? Are you ready to go home now?"

Hinata whirled around, startled. "N-Neji! You startled me," she admitted, embarrassed.

"Sorry. Shall we go - ?" Neji suddenly stopped in mid-sentence. Hinata blinked, surprised.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

"Your glasses. Why aren't you wearing your glasses?" her cousin asked suspiciously, his serious and quiet tone making her gulp nervously.

Hinata's heart sank heavily. She hadn't thought about explaining the situation to Neji. She shifted one foot from another, making sure to keep her eyes on the seemingly interesting ground.

"W-well..."

**xXxXx**

"**Uchiha...broke...your GLASSES?**_"_

_Eep. _

She was sure that flames had flown out of her cousin's mouth. He turned his back on her, obviously trying to digest this information. Was it just her, or was there sparks of fire radiating off him?

She backed away unconsciously, fiddling with her fingers anxiously. She had never known her refined, quiet cousin could be so...so...SCARY.

"N-Neji, please don't blame Uchiha-san. It was my-my fault..."

"Hmph." Neji's voice lost its wrathful tone and was back to its quiet, low pitch. He turned back to face her, crossing his arms. "Don't trouble yourself by defending him, Hinata-sama," he mumbled obstinately. "That Uchiha - "

"B-but Uchiha-san offered to be my eyes until my glasses are repaired," Hinata offered, hoping this would please him.

He stared at her. Now she was absolutely sure - sparks were radiating off him.

"_**HE WHAT?**" _

Yikes.

Had she thought it would please him? If she did, she was a complete moron.

"Hyuuga."

Both Hyuugas turned, and the tenseness of the atmosphere increased. Hinata's heart stopped. She could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Uchiha-san?"

"_Uchiha,_" Neji spat spitefully, glaring at the raven-haired male. "You have some nerve, showing your face to Hinata-sama after what you've put her through."

"Ne-Neji-niisan!" Hinata protested, shocked. She had always known that her cousin had a strong grudge against Sasuke, but he was going too far.

"Hnn..." Sasuke scoffed. "I have no choice but to be your cousin's eyes until her glasses get repaired. It's not like I can trust anyone else to do so - especially _you_. You're protective of her, aren't you? And yet...you allowed her to go through school completely _blind _and _helpless _today."

The words hit the right spot. If it was one thing Neji hated most, it was insulting his duty and saying he wasn't capable of doing it. Hinata bit her lower lip, glancing nervously from Sasuke to Neji and back and forth.

Sasuke should be more careful, she thought worriedly. Neji might not prefer violence, but he wouldn't hesitate to clobber anyone if he thought it was necessary.

"What is _that _supposed to mean?" Neji deadpanned, his voice dangerously low. "You watch your tongue, Uchiha, or I'm going to have to teach you how."

"Ne-Neji...!" Hinata tried again, knowing that her words were futile. Whenever Neji was this upset, there was no stopping him. He wouldn't even listen to _her. _

"Is that a threat?" the Uchiha responded coolly, calmly. It was obvious they were engaging in a glaring contest. Hinata fiddled with her fingers nervously, feeling a bit afraid. The tense atmosphere was almost too much to bear.

"Uchiha-san...Neji-niisan..."

Both seemed to be ignoring the poor girl's protests. Finally, after a long moment, Neji gave Sasuke one last icy glare before turning his back on him.

"We'll be leaving now, Hinata-sama. I'll go take you to the optometrist. I can't trust _him _to do so."

Hinata gave Sasuke an apologetic glance before turning to follow Neji. Suddenly, Neji stopped in his tracks and muttered a string of disappointed words under his breath.

"N-Neji?" Hinata gazed questioningly at his back.

"I have to go to the dojo today."

"Oh...!" Hinata blinked. _That's right_, she thought, _Father trains Neji-niisan daily at the dojo. _

Hiashi owned a dojo called _Aikikai Dojo _and taught his pupils the arts of _Aikido. _Hinata herself had once been a pupil - but after she upgraded to orange belt, her father kicked her out of the dojo, simply because she didn't seem "fit" to learn the martial arts.

As a white belt and yellow belt, Hinata had it easy, but as an orange belt, everything was a lot more painful and more difficult. For example, it was required of orange belts to learn and master _break falling. _Hiashi always made it seem so easy and painless, yet when she tried it herself, it was difficult, even when she didn't even do it properly half of the time. Whenever she flipped - or attempted to, she landed on her back with such force that it knocked the wind out of her lungs and left an aching, sharp pain that lasted for several minutes. Hiashi would always single her out and tell her to try over and over again, forcing her to _break fall _in front of the whole class until he was satisfied.

But what Hinata hated most was doing the locks - it wasn't that it was difficult, but she hated the thought of her opponent being in such pain. Therefore, whenever she was told to "perform the lock," she would simply perform the lock on her opponent slightly and whisper a meek apology. Hiashi noticed this and always scowled at her whenever she did. He made it clear that his pupils were required to be merciless.

Her father, out of annoyance and frustration, was no longer willing to train her any longer. _Weak, _he had called her, and another string of hurtful words that Hinata couldn't bear even to think about.

_"You're even weaker than your sister, _five years _your junior_," he had told her scornfully one day. Hinata hung her head, hiding her eyes from view. _I _am _weak. _

''I'm sorry."

This caused her to snap out of her trance. She looked up and stared at her cousin wildly.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry," Neji repeated, a hint of defeat in his voice.

What was he talking about? Hinata thought in bewilderment.

"But why?" she asked, confused.

A long sigh left her cousin's lips. "I can't take you to the optometrist," he confessed remorsefully. ''The training session starts in about half an hour, and I can't afford to be late - Hiashi-sama would not be pleased with me."

"Oh." Hinata looked down at the ground and clasped her hands behind her back. A second later, she looked back at Neji and tried to smile. "It's all right - Uchiha-san can escort me."

As soon as Sasuke's name left her mouth, Neji's head snapped towards her as quickly as a rubber band. "No. I refuse to allow you to be accompanied by that - that...by _him."_

"...Oh." Hinata's brow creased as she wondered why her cousin hated Sasuke so much. Sasuke wasn't _that _bad. Sure, he was an arrogant, sarcastic jerk sometimes, but overall, he was a pretty decent guy.

"Hnn. I should inform your father of this," Neji spoke thoughtfully, more to himself than Hinata. "Perhaps he'll allow me to be late just this once so I can take you to the optometrist."

At once, Hinata cringed. "N-no...please don't tell my father," she pleaded quietly, wringing her hands in despair. Who knows what he would think, what he would tell her? She could just imagine the disapproving look he would give her, the harsh words he would say. It was clear he would think of her as a bothersome nuisance who couldn't take care of herself.

"Oh." Neji seemed slightly startled, but he regained his composure. "All right," he agreed.

She was glad he didn't ask her any questions. But then again, Neji was always like that. He knew when it was or wasn't necessary to ask questions.

"Uchiha-san can - " she tried again.

"_No. _I mean it, Hinata-sama. I simply won't allow it."

"It'll be all right, really!" she tried to persuade him. "He won't hurt me - "

"He can not be trusted," Neji said stiffly, stubbornly. "What about your friends?"

"Sakura-chan and Ino-chan?" Hinata's heart sank heavily as her friends' names escaped her lips. They were probably still angry at her and would refuse to help. Yet, if they did choose to help, she knew that they wouldn't be willing.

"They can be trusted. Perhaps we should contact them and ask them if they can take you to the optometrist."

Hinata's heart sank even lower. "N-no, it's all right."

"Why not? They're your friends, aren't they?"

That made her heart clench even more painfully. "Y-yes, they are," she stammered, trying her best to believe it. "I believe...that they aren't available this instant," Hinata lied. It felt awful to lie. Her stomach lurched with heavy guilt.

"Well..." It was obvious Neji was thinking hard about the situation. "I suppose we can try to contact Tenten...or Lee."

Even though it wasn't very likely that either were upset about the situation with Sasuke and her, Hinata still didn't think it was a good idea. They would probably pester her with curious and seemingly harmless questions.

"I don't know how to contact them." Hinata couldn't think of any other excuse.

"Me neither," Neji confessed. "I don't know their phone numbers nor where they live." Neji sighed heavily, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"I can ask Hanabi-chan," Hinata offered.

Neji shook his head. "She has to go to the dojo today as well," he stated, disappointed.

"Oh." There was a very awkward and uncomfortable silence. Hinata sighed inwardly. Why did these things always happen to her?

"Hinata-sama, what time does the Optometry Clinic open and close?"

"It opens from 8 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon."

"All right, then." Neji seemed less tense and almost pleased. "I'll take you home and when my training session is over, I'll take you to the clinic, all right?"

"All right," Hinata responded, rather reluctant and hesitant. "What time does your training session end?"

"My training session starts from 3:30 to 5. Don't worry, Hinata-sama, I'll be sure to take you as quickly as possible."

"All right. Thank you..." Hinata smiled.

**xXxXx**

Hinata sighed, letting her backpack fall to the floor. What was she going to do for now? There wasn't much she could do in her current state...

She considered making lunch for Sasuke, but decided against it. She would wait until Hanabi was home and ask her to help her. She didn't want her sister to help her _make _the lunch, but just help her with the small things. For some reason, she wanted to make the lunch by herself. She didn't know why, but she felt excited.

She _could _sleep the day away - or an hour and a half, anyway, considering she wouldn't do anything, anyway. But she didn't feel like sleeping. Sleeping wasn't really her favorite hobby.

Hinata thought some more. She could do her homework...

...Speaking of homework -

_RIIIING! _

Hinata jumped about three feet in the air, nearly jumping out of her skin in surprise. She picked up the phone and, shakily holding it to her ear, managed a weak greeting.

"H-hello?"

"It's me."

Even though she knew the caller was Sasuke before she picked up the phone, she still couldn't help feeling surprised.

"You sound out of breath," he commented.

"Wh-what - oh." Hinata managed a soft laugh. "You...you startled me," she confessed.

"It doesn't take much to freak you out, hn?"

She blushed furiously. "U-umm...well..." she stammered timidly, embarrassed.

A heavy sigh rang in her ear. "Never mind about that," he mumbled, his voice clearly having a _"see-what-I-mean'' _tone. "Anyway, open up, will you?"

Hinata blinked, a confused and bewildered frown marring her face. "Wh-what?" she asked in puzzlement.

"I'm outside your door."

Ehhhhhh?!

She almost dropped the phone in shock. Hinata's eyes grew as wide as quarters as she unconsciously trembled, struggling to digest his words. He was kidding...right?!

"What are you waiting for?" he demanded. "Any moment now one of my fangirls may be coming along and she'll wonder why I'm outside your door." This he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Her body comprehended the order before her mind did. She found herself flying to her front door and opening it with a shaky hand. Sure enough, Sasuke was standing outside her door, with a cell phone in hand.

Hinata turned off her phone and let her hand fall to her side. At the same time, Sasuke turned off his cell phone and put it in his pocket.

"You look...surprised."

Hinata tried her best to wipe her stunned and nervous expression off her face. "P-please, come in," she invited him nervously, gulping.

Sasuke took off his shoes and slowly entered, his eyes vacantly yet intently studying his surroundings. On his way past her, he stopped and whispered in her ear, his breath caressing her ear and the side of her neck.

"Relax. I won't bite." The way he said it would have turned on any girl. He sounded taunting yet reassuring at the same time. However, the remark didn't help much. It only made her feel more anxious.

"H-how did you know where I live?" she asked, trying to take her mind off the previous incident.

Sasuke snorted softly. "Who doesn't know where you live?" he retorted.

Good point.

"You know," Sasuke continued, "I didn't really need to come _into_ your house in the first place. I was going to take you to the optometrist."

Oh, man, was she a genius or what? Hinata slapped herself mentally for being such a clueless moron.

"It's fine. I was going to leave my backpack here, so wipe that look off your face." Sasuke let his backpack fall gently to the ground beside hers. He paused abruptly. "You don't mind if I leave my backpack here, right?"

"N-no! Of course not!"

"All right. Let's go then."

"W-wait! I need to get my prescription and my glasses case first!" Hinata rushed off to her room to fetch her prescription and glasses case and came back.

"_Now _can we leave?" Sasuke asked tiredly, sounding a bit irritated.

Hinata flushed. "I'm sorry - " she started to apologize, tightening her grip on her belongings.

"You apologize too much." Sasuke sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Let's just go."

**xXxXx**

When they entered the clinic, it was then that Hinata realized she forgot something extremely important. She groaned inwardly, scolding herself for being so stupid. Sasuke started for the front counter, but turned back in surprise when he realized that Hinata wasn't following. Noticing the distressed look on Hinata's face, Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" he asked suspiciously.

"I-I...I forgot my money," Hinata admitted under her breath, ducking her head to hide her furious blush.

"I'll pay for the repairs, then."

Hinata's head snapped towards him quickly, her eyes widening. Okay, this was beyond weird. The thought of Sasuke offering to pay for someone else was...was just WEIRD.

"N-no, that's all right - I'll just go - "

"I'm paying," he cut in coldly, his voice lowering with exasperation. "I didn't come all the way here just to go back and forth."

The way he spoke, so obstinately and harshly, made her give in. She gulped, turning away rather shamefully and frightfully. His tone obviously said something like, _"You disgust me._"

"A-all right, then."

There was an awkward silence. "You don't have to get all emotional over it," the Uchiha finally spoke, turning away as well. "I didn't mean - " Sasuke stopped mid-sentence. "Never mind. Let's just get on with this."

Hinata followed him silently, staring down at the ground. For a minute there, it had sounded like he was sorry for the way he spoke to her. A hollow, sad smile crept along the corner of her lips. Oh, what the heck. She had only imagined such things in a sad attempt to comfort herself. How pathetic...

"...Miss?" a male voice called.

Hinata snapped out of her trance and looked up wildly, blinking several times. "Y-yes?" she responded, dazed.

"Do you need something?" the man asked kindly, glancing curiously at Sasuke, who stood next to her, his hands in his pocket.

"Oh...well, my glasses are broken," the girl explained quietly, "and - "

"Your glasses."

"Pardon me?"

"My apologies, miss. I meant - may I see your glasses?"

"Oh - um, all right." Hinata fished her glasses out of her pocket and handed them to the man.

"Your prescription, please," the optician said politely.

Silently, Hinata handed him her prescription. Suddenly, the sound of the phone ringing rang out.

"Excuse me, miss." Footsteps echoed slightly as he walked over to pick up the phone. Hinata waited while he talked with the person on the other line for a while. An impatient grunt escaped Sasuke's lips, but Hinata didn't pay much attention. After a minute or so, the optician hung up.

"Miss, give me a few minutes to inspect this, all right?"

"All right. Take as long as you need to," Hinata said politely.

Beside her, Sasuke sighed heavily. "How long does this usually take?" he muttered impatiently.

"It'll only be a few minutes, Uchiha-san."

"Hnnn."

Indeed, after three or so minutes, the man came back. "I'm sorry, miss," he apologized sympathetically, "but the frames are broken, and we're currently out of this particular lens prescription."

Hinata's stomach lurched. "How long do you suppose it will take to repair them?" she inquired softly, her heart sinking with dread.

"They should take about a week to repair."

A week?! As in...until next Monday? As in...SEVEN WHOLE DAYS?!

She wasn't sure she could handle it.

**xXxXx**

They both entered the house with silence, an atmosphere of embarrassment and discomfort settling in around them. A long, heavy sigh escaped Hinata's lips as she thought about the dread the following seven days would bring.

"I guess you're stuck with me for seven days," Sasuke finally spoke up. "You don't have to show your disappointment _that _obviously."

A tint of bright pink bloomed in Hinata's pale cheeks. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "It's not that - it's...well, I don't like the way everyone - " Hinata stopped mid-sentence and tried to put on a bright smile. "Let's go work on our homework together, shall we?''

Hinata picked up her backpack. "Let's go to the living room," she suggested softly, heading to the living room. "We'll have more room there."

"...You don't like the way everyone talks about you and stares at you. Whenever any attention is drawn to you, you get uncomfortable. Is that right?"

Hinata flinched, stopping in her tracks. She stared down at the ground, a sad frown marring her face and a shadow concealing her eyes from view. Why, she wondered bitterly, did he always have to say things that he knew would make her upset?

"...We should be working on our homework now. It's getting late."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but she knew he was giving her a knowing look. In the living room, they set down their backpacks and sat down on the floor, unsure of how to begin.

"What do you want to start on?" the girl managed to muster softly.

"I don't really care."

"Okay. Shall we start with math?"

"Fine." Sasuke opened his math textbook to the assigned page. "Hnn...only twenty nine problems," he remarked coolly, "and they're pretty easy, too."

"Okay." Hinata pulled out a sheet of paper from her binder and wrote her name, her homeroom number, her teacher's name, and the date. Sasuke finished writing down the necessary things on his paper and looked at the page of his textbook. He read aloud the problem with a hint of disgust, as if he thought the problem was too easy.

"Okay." Hinata stared down at her sheet of paper, unsure of exactly where she was supposed to write. She didn't want her work to be out of or through the lines of the lined paper. It would be totally embarrassing. "Umm...if it's not to much to ask, Uchiha-san, can you pinpoint where the - ?"

Out of nowhere, Sasuke grabbed her hand, startling her greatly, and positioned it above a spot near the top of the sheet of paper. "Is it so necessary to be so neat?" he asked rather smugly, releasing her hand and going back to work.

Hinata was sure her face lit up with the color of red fireworks. She didn't know why, but she liked the way his hand felt, even though it was cold. Yet, just as before in the hallways, it had slowly warmed up. The strange feeling made her insides tingle.

Trying to shake her embarrassment away, Hinata concentrated on carefully writing down the problem and solving it. Sasuke said aloud the next problem, and before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand again and guided it to the proper place.

She wasn't sure if she could stop the warm and fuzzy sensation from reaching every part of her body.

**xXxXx**

"_Finally._" Sasuke let out a somewhat exasperated yet relieved grunt as he closed his social studies textbook. "Now, all we have left is that haiku."

"Oh, I already finished mine."

"Hnn." Sasuke sounded ashamed. "Now, I feel like a procrastinator."

"Oh?"

"I didn't finish mine yet," he confessed reluctantly. "I was never really a poet. I couldn't think of anything."

"If you'd like, I can show you mine. Perhaps you'll get an inspiration."

"No, thanks," he mumbled stiffly. It was clear he didn't like accepting help from others.

"It's due tomorrow," she reminded him.

Sasuke seemed to consider this for a moment. "Fine. But I doubt it'll help," he muttered grudgingly.

"It's upstairs in my room. I was working on it last night."

And with that, Hinata got up and slid open the sliding doors. She stepped slowly up the stairs, holding onto the railing carefully. She reached her bedroom and walked towards the alcove, where she knew it'd be.

"Your room is large."

Hinata jumped slightly, startled. She hadn't thought he would follow her up to her room. He seemed to be reading her thoughts, for he gave his usual "Hn."

"I always have to watch out for you, you know, just in case you trip on the stairs." Sasuke didn't need to add, "_Like last time._"

It's not like she'd mind if she did trip and he was there to catch her, Hinata thought absentmindedly. She then blinked. Wait. What had she just thought?!

She mentally slapped herself. She really had to stop thinking such thoughts!

"So, this is your family." It was more of a statement rather than a question.

Hinata whirled to find Sasuke lifting his head and staring slightly upwards. Even without her glasses, she knew that he was looking at the framed photo of her entire family - Hiashi, Hanabi, her mother, and herself. They were so young and happy in that photo, Hinata thought wistfully.

"Yes."

Sasuke didn't say anything further. He didn't move, but she knew he was carefully studying her room.

"You write your own songs?" Even though his voice sounded dull, she could detect a hint of interest in his tone.

How could he have known? she wondered, looking at her alcove, where she always kept her folder in which her songs resided in. Oh, yes - she had been looking through the folder to in an attempt to find the inspiration for her haiku and forgot to close the folder out of exhaustion.

"Y-yes. Well, I only made up one song."

That song had been inspired by her love for Naruto. She didn't know why she couldn't throw it away and burn the memories. She would always attempt to force herself to pick it up and throw it in the fireplace, but in the end, she could never do it. Even if she did burn it, she knew, deep down in her heart, the flames would simply burn the evidence, yet leave behind the pain.

"I see." Sasuke continued to stare at the piece of paper exposed on her alcove. "_Sakura Drops?_" he read off it in a monotone.

Hinata's heart sank to the pit of her cold stomach. _That song. _

"Oh - that one," Hinata managed to whisper weakly, trying to put on a smile. "I started working on that song last year late March - when the _Sakura _blossoms were starting to bloom. The _Sakura _blossoms inspired me."

"Did you finish it?"

"Oh - yes...yes, I did. I finished it in late June," Hinata mumbled, hoping that her lack of enthusiasm would make him stop asking her questions.

Sasuke was silent for such a long time that a spark of hope surged in her chest. Did he finally decide not to ask any more questions?

"How does it go?"

"What?"

"How does the song go?" he repeated, slightly louder.

Hinata blinked. "U-um...why do you -?"

"I have my reasons," he spoke in that stoic, rather arrogant way of his.

"...Oh." Hinata looked down at the floor. She didn't want to say how the song went - she knew that if she did, that pain would come back again. It wasn't like it vanished, but it had at least subsided for a short period of time.

But there was an urge within her heart to release everything in the words in _Sakura Drops. _And before she knew it, she had taken a deep breath and a soft, breathy sound escaped her lips as she began to sing.

_"I won't fall in love anymore_

_I swear this will be the last heartbreak_

_Even if a cherry blossom tree is shaken by the wind_

_The flowers on it will still bloom..."_

She wanted to stop - everything was rushing back to her - the unbearable pain, the unforgettable memories, _the _incidents - everything. _Stop! _her mind was screaming. But she couldn't...she couldn't stop -

_"The summer rain that started to fall _

_Gently streaked past my tears _

_I started remembering and seeing re-runs_

_Of last fall's rebroadcast drama..."_

**xXxXx**

_"Hey, Hinata-chan!" _

_"Y-y-yes?" _

_"I just wanted to thank you for helping me with my report! I got a 4! Pretty awesome, huh?" _

_"W-wow...! Congratulations! I-I'm so happy for you." _

_"Hee-hee. Thanks, Hinata-chan. But, really, it was all thanks to you! You know, if you hadn't helped me at the last moment, I bet I would have got a really bad grade on it. I'm stupid, you know, so this kind of stuff is hard for me - "_

_"N-no, that's not true! I-I mean...what I'm trying to say is...don't underestimate yourself, Naruto-kun...!"_

_"But...Hinata-chan, I _am _stupid. I've _always _been stupid, and I always _will _be stupid." _

_"Don't think like that, Naruto-kun! If you believe in yourself, you can change! You can become a new person - a person who believes in his own abilities and will not set limits on himself!" _

_"...Hm, Hinata-chan. I think you're right! You know...I always thought of you as a "dark, weird" girl. But now...I can see I was wrong. I think I like people like you!" _

**xXxXx**

If she didn't know the truth, the memory would have been pure bliss to her. Why was she remembering all of this now?

_Naruto-kun...you told me you liked people like me. So...why did you -? _

**xXxXx**

_"Ooooh...so you _do_ like her!" _

_"I do not! She's weird and too quiet. She's not my type! But she's okay, I guess." _

_"So who do you like then, huh?" _

_**"I like Sakura-chan!" **_

**xXxXx**

_Naruto-kun...was it all a lie when you told me you liked people like me? I was so happy when you said that. Can you imagine how I felt when you said the exact opposite? _

She could feel her eyes burning. Yet, she didn't care this time - she didn't try to hold those tears back. One by one, they slid down her face silently.

_"Why have I suffered _

_Almost the same blows such countless times? _

_But even so, I'll probably fight again _

_That is one of life's mysteries..."_

How could she fight, though, when she had given up on everything she ever fought for?

_"To fall in love, you have to sacrifice everything_

_My wish is that this will be the last heartbreak_

_Even if a cherry blossom tree is shaken through time_

_The flowers on it will still bloom..."_

Her voice cracked as she finished the stanza, and a quiet sob arose from her throat. She couldn't go on - she could only cry. All those memories and all the pain she had kept inside was flowing freely down her tear-stained cheeks. How strange, to think that just this one song could reawaken every door in her mind that she had tried to keep closed.

"...Are you -?" Sasuke's voice swept her back to reality.

The girl sniffled softly and slowly whirled to face him, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. She couldn't look him in the face; she could only look down at the floor. She sniffled again and ducked her head, ashamed. She hated being so weak and vulnerable.

"...Oh." Sasuke sounded awkward.

Hinata clutched her heart with both hands, blinking away tears. Aside from the pain and the sorrow, there was something else. An urge, an almost irresistible urge to reach for this boy she barely knew. After all the harsh words he spoke to her and the arrogant remarks he made...all she could think about was...

A quiet and sharp inhalation of breath slipped from Sasuke's lips as Hinata forced herself upon him, clutching the fabric of his shirt and sobbing quietly into his chest. He gazed down at her silently, a mixture of surprise and bewilderment flickering through his slightly wide eyes. Then he regained his composure and did nothing but allow her to hold onto him.

Hinata continued to weep into his chest. For some reason, even if he did not put his arms around her or speak any consoling words (but it wasn't as if she expected him to,) he felt comforting. To her surprise and relief, he didn't push her away. He just allowed her to cling onto him, crying her eyes out in his chest.

_**I won't fall in love anymore. **_

**xXxXx**

"You sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"I'll be okay," Hinata smiled reassuringly. And she would, hopefully. "I-I'm really sorry about before - I didn't mean to - "

"Stop apologizing." Yet, unlike the other times, he didn't sound annoyed or harsh. "I told you, it wasn't a big deal. "

"All right."

The silence settling on the atmosphere at the moment was one of the most awkward and uncomfortable silences yet.

"Umm...the haiku...?" she blurted out.

"It's fine. I'll think of something."

"B-but I think I should show you my haiku before you leave. Perhaps you might get an inspiration."

Sasuke looked at her for a while before he sighed. "Fine," he agreed, accepting the sheet of paper she gave him. He read it aloud:

**It's cold—and I wait**

**For someone to shelter me**

**And take me from here.**

Hinata's face burned. She hadn't thought he would read it aloud. For some reason, hearing her own work, which was, obviously, inspired by the loneliness in her life, made her feel ashamed and embarrassed.

"I-it...might seem a bit..." she mumbled, not quite sure how to describe her work.

"It's not bad."

He didn't say it was good, but at least he didn't say it was bad. Hinata smiled a bit as she accepted her haiku.

"...I'll see you tomorrow then, right?" she asked him.

"Yeah." Sasuke paused. "You take the bus, right?"

Hinata blinked, surprised. "Y-yes. How did you-?"

"I see you take the bus every morning," he explained stiffly, as if annoyed that she thought he was a stalker or something like that. "It'll be dangerous, so until your glasses are repaired, I'll take you to school."

Holy Mother of God, who had crawled into the poor boy's brain and possessed him...?!

She just gaped and stared at him, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. _Oh, no...what will everyone think? What will Sakura-chan and Ino-chan think?! _she wailed to herself.

"I-it's okay," she managed to speak. "I can ask my cousin - "

"Oh. I get it," Sasuke cut in flatly. "It bothers you to me seen with me, right?"

HE COULD READ MINDS, TOO!

Hinata almost fell over in surprise and embarrassment. "N-no...! It's not that...!" she tried to convince him sheepishly.

"You don't have to deny it. It's really obvious." Sasuke shook his head. "...Hnn. I'll try not to stand out as much, all right? You'll just have to bear seven days with me."

How could he NOT stand out?! Every time he walked by, the uproar from the girls was so loud that people from another CITY would look about and wonder what the heck was going on!

Seven days. She had almost forgotten. Her inner self crawled into a dark corner and wailed like a five-year old, tears streaming from big chibi eyes. SEVEN DAYS! How could she survive through SEVEN DAYS with UCHIHA SASUKE?!

"O-okay," she said obediently, reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Same here."

Sasuke opened the door, donned his shoes, and walked out, closing the door behind him. Hinata sighed inwardly, almost falling over from the exhaustion of all the day's events and the anticipation of the days to come. Her mind drifted back to the previous incident. Why? she asked herself, confused. Why had she done it?

She didn't know why, but something about him made it okay for her to cling onto him and cry her eyes out in his shirt. It was as if she _knew _he wasn't going to push her away. But how? How had she known that he wouldn't push her away?

A rather loud knock on the door made her jump, startled. Was it Sasuke? Did he forget something? she wondered, quickly regaining her composure and opening the door.

It wasn't Sasuke, to her disappointment.

Even if her vision was fairly poor, she could recognize the person at the doorway. Before she could smile and greet him, he had spoken in a very dangerously low voice.

"Hinata, what was _Uchiha _doing at your house?"

Uh-oh. This didn't look good, Hinata gulped.

She was SO in for it.

**xXxXx**

A/N. Oh ho ho ho ho! _-laughs with nose in the air- _You didn't see that coming, did you? ;) Of course, it is very obvious who it is, riiight:P

Okay...I don't have glasses myself, so please don't get sue me if you see that there are some mistakes. Take the scene with Hinata and the optician as an example. I don't know how the actual thing goes, so I'm VERY, VERY sorry if you guys notice some things wrong. ­_-sweatdrop- _

Hehe...that SasuHina scene with the song thingy was inspired by a Matt/Christie scene in **Dramacon. **_-starry eyes- _:)

And by the way, the Japanese grading system is different. From I looked up, there are no A's, B's, C's, etc. The grading scale is 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest. So that would mean that Naruto got a pretty decent grade on his report. :)

And please don't bash Sakura and Ino in your reviews for being sooo mean to Hinata. I just thought that they would act that way. They don't hate her, of course, but they're simply shocked and somewhat feel betrayed. But no worries, they'll be nice later. :)

To a certain reviewer, I'm really sorry that I couldn't put Naruto in this chapter. I was trying to, but the chapter was long enough as it is...x.x Hopefully, he can come back in the next chapter. :P

Also, I need help with this one thing (for now.) I'm stuck on what after school sports the main and secondary characters will have. x.x Here's the list of what I have in mind.

**Hinata - Either music or _judo_ **

**Sasuke - Either music, _judo_, or nothing (lol)**

**Ino - Flower arrangement (duh) **

**Neji - Either _judo_ or _kendo_ (I'm leaning more on kendo since he's taking _Aikido _already, and _Aikido _is somewhat similiar to _judo_)**

**Tenten - ? (no idea o.o) **

**Sakura - Art, tennis, or tea ceremony **

**Naruto - ? (no ideaaa x.x)**

PPPPLEASSSE send me your opinions and ideas! I really need them! x.x Thanks again to all those who reviewed:)

(Out of topic) Reviews make me very happy. (hint hint) :D


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Neither do I own the characters **Yukihiro Ayaka **and **Kagurazaka Asuna **from **Negima, **and** Kashiwagi Sae** from Peach Girl

A/N. Oh ho ho...yes, I'm finally back, guys! x3 Man, I am SO sorry for the slow updates. ­_-sigh- _For one thing, my lil brother has gotten hooked onto this virtual pet site and hogs my laptop everyday just to play around on the site and I get sooooo mad. RAWRRRR. X.x

Oh, btw, guys, Hinata's appearance will be different from the time skip Hinata due to the plotline of the story. Since, of course, she wants to hide her eyes/face all the time, I decided to base her appearance off **Miyazaki Nodoka **from **Negima. **So, Hinata hides most of her face behind her long bangs just like Nodoka-chan. If you don't know what Nodoka looks like, just look it up in Google. :PP

I calculated up the total number of votes for the school activities, and the results are in my profile, so check them out, if you want! (: Fyi, even though a certain school activity has the most votes, I might choose a different one for the plotline, so please don't be too upset if your choice isn't picked. :P

And...what else was there? Oh, yes. I saw one or two flames directed toward Ino and Sakura even though I stated quite clearly that I didn't want any...and frankly, I'm annoyed. x.x;; It's okay to be disappointed in their actions and state so, but to state things like "SAKURA AND INO, YOU SORE B------" is out of the question. The only bashing I can tolerate is towards Sasuke's rabid fangirls (excluding Sakura and Ino.) _-sweatdrop- _I don't want to see any more of these kinds of comments, okay, guys? x.x

Ino and Sakura, even after they get over the situation, will still act awkwardly towards Hinata at times, but don't bash them because I know there are some of you out there that might act a little more than awkward if your best friend was hanging around the person you liked, even though your best friend knew very well about your feelings.

Aaaand...I think this LONG author's note wraps up just about everything I need to say. :P

**Japanese Words in this Chapter**

_curry: _a thick, sweet sauce

_furoshiki: _a drawstring bag that holds bento boxes

_onigiri: _rice balls

_umeboshi: _salty and sour pickle

_kare raisu: _cooked rice with curry sauce

_bonito: _skipjack tuna

**xXxXx**

"I saw** _Uchiha _**walking out the door! What's the meaning of all this, Hinata-sama?!"

Hinata cringed at his severe and angry tone. Now she'd _really _done it. "I-I-" she tried to protest, but he didn't let her complete her sentence.

"Tell me it's not true - that it was simply a hallucination!"

Hinata gulped, wringing her hands. Part of her wanted to lie, but she knew that he would instantly see through it. Might as well come clean, she thought miserably.

"N-Neji-niisan, this is all a misunderstanding - " she began, but he interrupted her yet again.

"So I _was _merely hallucinating?" Neji asked in astonishment, yet the bitter anger and disbelief was still evident in his voice.

"N-no..." Hinata admitted weakly, her voice growing quieter with defeat. "H-he _did _come over, but only to - "

"I thought I told you not to associate with him, Hinata-sama!" Neji cut in, his voice rising with unbelievable anger. "I had never thought you would go against my orders!"

Orders? A spark of anger burst within Hinata's chest. Did he just think he could order her around? Did he think of her as a helpless puppy that willingly and obediently followed his orders? However, Hinata tried to swallow her anger and attempted to find a way to sort all of this out calmly.

"He's a good person, really!" she tried to convince him.

"And you believe that is a reasonable excuse for you to associate with him behind my back?!"

"But he _is _a good person!" Hinata insisted, feeling a bit hurt and offended by his words. He made her feel as if she were purposely sneaking behind his back and doing whatever she liked. She never thought Neji would ever think of her that way, yet here he was, spitting at her with such wrath that it felt as if she were some rival he had resented for a long time. She didn't understand what was happening or _why _it was happening

"He even took me to the optometrist and played for the repairs!" she added weakly, hoping this would change her cousin's mind about Sasuke.

This clearly stunned and angered her cousin even more. Hinata cringed at the short amount of silence that followed. _How dare she, _he seemed to be thinking, _how dare she ignore his wishes and so selfishly contend to her own?!_

"You_ allowed **him **_to take you to the optometrist?!" The words tumbled out of Neji's mouth in an angry and slightly unclear slur. "Are you really so foolish and gullible as to fall for his acts?! It's clear his reasons are to simply mess with your emotions and then deceive you when you least expect it!!"

Hinata couldn't believe her ears. "H-how could you accuse him of such a thing, Neji?" she cried out, stunned. "Uchiha-san may seem cold-hearted, but he would never do anything like that! He's a good person!"

"You choose to believe _him _over _me?_" Neji's voice was so angry and violent that if Hinata hadn't known that Neji would never hurt her physically, she would have thought he would attack her out of rage.

Hinata remained quiet and turned away silently, not knowing anything else to say. What else _could _she say? He'd simply ignore her protests and continue to tell her off for disobeying him!

A frustrated growl rumbled from Neji's throat. "I put my trust in you, Hinata-sama," he muttered, his voice slightly weakening, yet still strong with deep anger. "To think that you would betray my trust in you..." Neji's voice trailed off.

A small gasp erupted from Hinata's throat and her lavender eyes widened in shocked disbelief at his words. She simply couldn't believe that this person was Neji. Was it really Neji, her kind and sincere cousin, who always understood and respected her wishes and decisions?

All she did was allow Sasuke to help her with her homework! What was so bad about that? What had goaded Neji to believe that she betrayed his trust?!

Hinata ducked her head low, unable to look him in the face any longer. Her forehead furrowed as her eyebrows dangled diagonally over her narrow eyes, signifying an expression of indignation. A roaring and wild storm was surging through her mind, burning and consuming every fiber of thought, only to leave behind a trail of a feeling she had thought she was never capable of feeling - anger.

"Neji," Hinata spoke his name, her voice trembling a bit out of disbelief and hurt. She waited, waited for him to cut in and yell at her some more. But he didn't say anything. He seemed to be willing now to listen to her explanation. A spark of courage surged through her heart, allowing her to look up and stare at him right in the face.

"All I did was allow Uchiha-san to help me with my homework. If I knew someone else who shared every single one of my classes with me, I wouldn't have associated with Uchiha-san at all." Hinata paused, trying to figure out how to sort out the rest of her words.

"Hinata- "

"Neji," she interrupted, disregarding the doubt and the anger that still existed in his voice, "I know you are very protective of me and concerned of my well being, and I respect that. However...please don't think that it gives you the power to control my life!"

Hinata's clasped hands squeezed the other tightly as she swallowed, nervous yet determined to continue. "I-I...I thought I could trust you, too, Neji," she confessed sorrowfully, turning away. "I thought I could trust you to understand that I can make my own decisions."

Hinata paused for a short moment to allow him to digest this information. It was clear that he was too shocked and stunned to speak or protest. However, this only encouraged her to continue.

"You have it backwards, Neji. It is _you _who betrayed _my_ trust, not the other way around."

It was as if her mind realized this after her mouth did. Her anger quickly faded without a trace, and the only detectable emotion she could feel within her heart now was sadness. He had betrayed her trust.

Her eyes started to burn and tingle as her mind came to comprehend what her cousin had done. He had betrayed her, yet to cover up for his own mistakes, he accused _her _of betraying _him._

Before she knew it, a tear had slid down her face. Hurriedly, she wiped it away with her sleeve. Even if all she could feel deep inside was sorrow and confusion, she could sense that the atmosphere was no longer an angry one - just an uncomfortable, guilty one.

"Hinata-sama..." Neji broke the silence, his voice quiet with guilt and sadness.

Hinata turned her back on him, trying to hide her tears. "Neji...I-I'm sorry," she managed to choke out, "b-but...I have to ask you to leave."

A barely audible gasp escaped Neji's lips as he stared at her back wildly. Had he overdone it? he thought guilty. A part of him wanted to apologize to her, but another part of him knew that she wouldn't accept his apology so soon - especially right now. With a heavy heart, Neji reluctantly turned around and, after throwing one last sorrowful glance at her, closed the door behind him.

Hearing the door close, Hinata found it safe to bury her face in her palms and cry silently. However, her privacy was soon intruded on, for the door opened again. She flinched, praying that it wasn't Neji -

"Hinata-onee-san, what happened?"

- and to her relief, she realized it was only her sister.

"Neji seemed upset - he simply stormed past me with this strange expression on his face," Hanabi continued cautiously, her voice filled with a mixture of both alarm and concern.

"It...it was nothing, Hanabi-chan."

Just like Neji, Hanabi knew when not to pester someone with questions when it was obvious they were uncomfortable about the topic. However, she couldn't help but continue the conversation.

"I hope you two don't stay upset with each other for long," she murmured worriedly. "Hinata-onee-san, you'll be all right, won't you?"

"...I'll be okay."

Hanabi decided to leave her sister alone and head to her bedroom to work on her homework. On her way past Hinata, she stopped and gazed sincerely at her sister.

"Don't worry, Hinata-san. Everything will turn out all right."

Hinata lowered her palms slightly, yet just enough for her to gaze gratefully at her sister. "Th-thank you, Hanabi-chan," she sniffled softly, feeling a bit better by her sister's reassurance.

Hanabi smiled a bit before turning back and continuing on her way to her bedroom. Hinata wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and called out her sister's name.

"Yes?" Hanabi turned back to look at her.

"U-um...may I ask a favor of you?" Hinata asked weakly.

Hanabi raised an eyebrow slightly. It was rare of Hinata to ask a favor of anyone. She was rather an independent person. However, Hanabi nodded.

"All right," Hanabi responded cautiously. "What is it?"

"Umm...I need to prepare two bento boxes," Hinata explained, "-one for myself and one for... someone else."

Hanabi blinked, surprised. The only person Hinata ever prepared bento for (in her knowledge) was Uzumaki Naruto. But Hinata had stopped preparing bento for Naruto about a year ago. Hanabi was certain Hinata wouldn't have made bento for him anymore, because the day she noticed that Hinata only prepared one bento box, she had casually asked why she was making only one. Hinata had simply given her this sad smile and said from now on, she'd prepare only one o-bento. Judging from the look on her sister's face, something must have happened between Naruto and her, so Hanabi never brought up the topic of her crush.

Hanabi was sure that Hinata's female friends made bento for themselves and wouldn't depend on her to make bento for them. So, who else...?

"A boy?" the younger Hyuuga asked curiously.

Hinata blushed. Her sister sure could figure things out quickly. "Y-yes," Hinata confessed sheepishly. "A...friend."

Hanabi was silent for a while before she nodded again and spoke.

"I'll help you now. I'll do my homework later. I don't have much of it, anyway."

"Oh, r-really? You'll really help me?" Hinata's eyes lit up.

"Yes..." Hanabi nodded slowly, surprised by her sister's eagerness.

"Okay! Well, let's get started then, shall we?" Hinata beamed and held her palms together, heading for the kitchen. "Are you sure you don't mind helping me?" she asked doubtfully, washing her hands thoroughly at the sink and wiping them with a clean towel.

"Of course not," Hanabi responded nonchalantly, following suit.

Hinata smiled. "Thank you. This really means a lot to me, Hanabi-chan."

Hanabi simply nodded, got out her own _bento _box from her backpack, and watched as Hinata took her _bento _box and placed it on the counter.

"Hanabi-chan, can you wash my _bento_ box for me, please?" Hinata asked her sister politely. "I need to find another _bento_ box."

"All right."

Hinata then opened the drawer where the other _bento_ boxes were kept, while Hanabi rinsed her sister's _bento_ box. Hinata peered hard, searching for a medium-sized, red _bento_ box, which, in her opinion, was one of the best looking _bento_ boxes she had.

"Ah! There it is!" she murmured to herself, taking it out and smiling triumphantly.

Hanabi turned around and stared curiously at the _bento_ box her sister held in her hands. "Isn't that the bento box you used to use to make lunch for Uzumaki-san?" she asked, startled and surprised.

Hinata's insides grew icy and numb as her smile quickly vanished. _I had almost forgotten_, she thought sorrowfully, staring intently at the bento box. _It seemed...like only yesterday that I made o-bento for Naruto-kun. _

She unconsciously pressed the precious _bento_ box to her chest, not saying a single word. Hanabi noticed her sister's discomfort and looked away. Of course, she scolded herself, she should have known better than to bring up the topic. She sighed inwardly, opening her mouth to apologize -

"Do we have any _bonito_, Hanabi-chan?" Hinata's voice was steady and calm, but Hanabi knew instantly it was a struggle for her to remain so nonchalant.

"O-of course." Hanabi was surprised. Hinata should have known that. Then again, the younger sister had a feeling Hinata was trying to change the subject in the most casual way possible.

"That's good." Hinata paused for a while. "Hanabi-chan, if it isn't too much trouble, can I ask you to fix _o-bento _for me while I fix...the other o-_bento_?"

"Of course..." Hanabi responded cautiously.

"Thank you."

And with that, the two sisters got to work. Hanabi measured out the amount of uncooked rice and water needed for a good amount of rice that they would use to make onigiri while Hinata washed the vegetables and fruits. Hinata then wrapped most of the vegetables in a crisp, fresh lettuce leaf, which served as an attractive wrapper and a tasty treat.

Occasionally, Hanabi would help Hinata prepare some side dishes that were difficult to do in her state, such as egg omelettes and croquettes. When the rice was finished cooking and had cooled down a bit, the two girls set to work to make _onigiri. _

Hinata couldn't help but enjoy herself as she prepared Sasuke's lunch. After all, why shouldn't she be happy? This was the first time she ever looked forward to something so...well, special.

She had pondered for a while, debating on which _onigiri _mould to use - the fancy-shaped, cute-looking moulds or the regular-shaped, plain ones. She finally decided on using the fancy ones. After all, the whole point of making a _bento _for another was to try to make it as pleasing to the eye as possible. Then again, she doubted Sasuke wouldn't care about what the _bento_ looked like, but nonetheless, she had her pride. She didn't want to look like a fool, and she worried about what others would think if they saw that the _bento _wasn't as delicate and pleasant-looking as it should be.

So, humming a Japanese love song under her breath, she created _bonito-_flavored and _umeboshi_-flavored _onigiri _with her attractive heart-shaped and star-shaped rice moulds

**xXxXxXx**

Hanabi watched her sister curiously as she used the regular-shaped rice moulds to prepare _onigiri _for her sister's bento, as well as her own. It was strange to see her sister look so cheerful while doing such an ordinary and unexciting routine. Anyone who looked at her right now would think she had been rewarded with a special and rare treat.

"Ah, Hanabi-chan, would you please help me make _curry?_" Hinata's soft voice surged through Hanabi's thoughts.

Hanabi jerked slightly, startled. "O-of course," she responded, quickly assembling the ingredients necessary to prepare the dish.

Hinata smiled at her sister. "I really appreciate your help, Hanabi-chan."

"I don't mind helping..." Hanabi mumbled modestly. Without another word, the two sisters started to prepare _curry. _After all the dishes were prepared, they arranged them neatly and delicately in the sections of their _bento _boxes. Then they wrapped the utensils in a drawstring cloth carrying bag and slid them into a slot inside the box lid. Hanabi bundled up Hinata's _bento _box with a plain, white _furoshiki_, and wrapped her own _bento _box with a lime green one. She turned to watch Hinata peer through their collection of _furoshiki _and finally settle on a light blue drawstring bag, designed with cherry blossoms and decorated with red bows. Hinata then bundled up the bento box with the pretty _furoshiki_, that pleased smile still etched into her face.

Hanabi couldn't help but feel a bit of surprise. It was strange of her sister to be so concerned about the appearance of the _bento _she was preparing for another. The amount of the food she made for this "someone" was a lot more than she made for herself or anyone else. Half of what she prepared probably couldn't fit in Hanabi's bento box nor her own, but fortunately, the _bento _box she picked was one of the biggest in their collection. In addition, the appearance of the food was much more pleasing to the eye than what she normally would have prepared.

For example, the _onigiri _were in fancy and cute shapes, while the large tomatoes were in the shapes of small baskets that were filled with either egg salad or _bonito _in the very core. To top it off, Hinata selected the _bento _box and the _furoshiki _for being the best-looking ones in their collection.

Of course, Hinata took more time preparing another's _bento _than her own, but she was never this choosy. The only time she ever was when she had a strong crush on Naruto. But then, Hanabi was sure Hinata wasn't making lunch for Naruto this time. What about this person had goaded her sister to be like this? It wasn't as if Hanabi was upset by her sister's sudden behavior, but she simply couldn't help wondering what had caused her to change.

"We're finished," Hinata stated happily, carrying the beautifully-wrapped _bento _box and setting it where she always would. Hanabi simply nodded and followed suit. "I can't thank you enough for helping, Hanabi-chan!"

Hanabi felt a bit uncomfortable. It was kind of weird to be thanked over and over. Then again, it _was _her sister, who always felt the need to be polite and courteous.

"It wasn't any trouble," Hanabi mumbled modestly.

"I still appreciate your help," Hinata beamed. "And...if it isn't any trouble, can you help me make dinner as well?"

"Of course."

"Thank you!"

"It's not any trouble..." Hanabi mumbled again.

Hinata merely smiled.

**xXxXxXx**

After dinner was over, Hinata excused herself from the table. Hanabi nodded in acknowledgement, but Hiashi didn't show any signs that he heard his eldest daughter. This made Hinata feel a bit sad, but she tried not to let it bother her. Her father rarely acknowledged her, so why get so worked up about it now?

Just as she was heading up to her room, the call of the phone downstairs beckoned her. Hinata ran down the stairs and picked it up.

"H-hello?" she answered, a bit out of breath.

"Hinata-chan?"

Hinata froze, her heart thumping in her ribs. "S-Sakura-chan?" she managed to muster weakly.

"Of course! Who else would it be?" Sakura laughed heartily. Hinata blinked in surprise at the cheerfulness in her voice. Before, she had been treating Hinata as if they had never met. What was going on?

"E-erm..." Hinata couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Uh, well, you see, Hinata-chan," Sakura sighed a bit, as if unsure how to sort out her words. "Sorry," she finally said.

Hinata blinked again. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked, confused.

Sakura sighed again. "Look, Ino-chan and I really didn't mean to act the way we did before," she explained slowly. "Well, we _were _a bit - no, _really _upset about...you and Sasuke-kun."

"...Oh." Hinata didn't know how to respond to this.

"And, see," Sakura went on, "even though Ino and I knew it wasn't really your fault, our anger goaded us to blame it all on you. But then," she added quickly, "Ino and I felt guilty after you left today, and we talked it over. We agreed that we shouldn't let our love for Sasuke-kun get in the way of our friendship."

"Oh." Hinata didn't know what to say. But what she _did _know was that Sakura and Ino had stopped being angry with her. Without thinking, Hinata smiled widely. "Sakura-chan - " she began.

"You _do _forgive us, right, Hinata-chan? We're really, _really _sorry. I mean, we felt somewhat betrayed and stuff... It was like you were, well, at fault. You did know we liked Sasuke-kun, yet you were getting too close to him. Well, that was what we were thinking, anyway. You _do _understand, don't you?"

Hinata was silent for a long time at this. Now that she thought about it, she herself had felt that way before. She recalled all the times she watched enviously and sadly as Naruto flirted with Sakura, and then she remembered the looks of confusion and puzzlement Sakura and Ino gave her whenever she acted distant towards them. As she digested Sakura's words, she couldn't help but feel sympathy and sadness for her friends. She knew what it felt like to be jealous.

"Hinata-chan? Are you there?" Sakura's worried voice rang through her thoughts, snapping her out of her trance.

"Y-yes."

"Oh." Sakura sounded surprised and relieved at the same time. "I thought you hung up on me or something. You know, I wouldn't really blame you if you got angry at our obnoxiousness - "

"I-it's not that, Sakura-chan. I was just thinking." Hinata took a deep breath. "I-I understand."

"You do? That's good! Thanks, Hinata-chan!" Sakura said happily. "You're the greatest!"

There was a deep, male voice in the background. "Okay, okay, keep your shorts on!" Sakura yelled irritatedly. It was obvious she was talking to another with her mouth away from the voice speaker because her voice wasn't as loud. "I'm getting off, okay?! Okay, um," Sakura's voice swam back into the voice speaker, "I have to go now, Hinata-chan. My dad's getting pissed at me."

"It's okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

"Okay. Bye, Sakura-chan."

"Bye. I'm getting off, Daddy, geez!" There was a click as Sakura hung up. Hinata put down the phone and went to her room. Well, she thought, it wouldn't be so bad, after all. Sakura and Ino weren't upset with her anymore. She went into the bathroom and prepared to take a bath.

But she remembered another two problems on her hands. One, everyone - mostly the girls - at her school. She cringed at the thought of putting up with their mean comments for a week. Actually, now that she thought about it, it wouldn't be just a week. They'd be sure to hold a grudge against her for a very, very long time. It didn't seem as if there was anything she could do to stop it, she thought miserably, removing her clothes.

Another problem - Neji. Her heart turned cold, and even as she stepped into the warm, refreshing water in the bath, the comforting heat didn't help her feel any better. Neji was probably still angry at her. It was strange and frightening to see her cousin as furious as he was this evening. He was the type of person who would calmly straighten things out. But she knew that the only thing that goaded him to explode in such a way was Sasuke. Come to think of it, why did Neji hate Sasuke so much? Sasuke wasn't so bad...

As she replayed the scene of their argument over and over, she couldn't help but feel a stab of remorse and guilt. Neji was only trying to protect her. He was merely concerned about her well-being. But, still, did he have to be so hurtful about it? Did he have any idea how painful it was to hear those words?

Still, still, she couldn't be angry at him for being concerned. _I'll apologize to him tomorrow at school, _Hinata promised herself, stepping out of the bath and drying herself. After she put on some clothes, she went downstairs to help Hanabi clean up the table and wash the dishes. Afterwards, she went upstairs to her room and spread out her futon. She walked over to her dresser set and felt around for her brush. Her fingers brushed across a very familiar surface. She paused, running her hands over the object and squinting at it hard. A sad smile crept along her lips as she realized that it was a framed photograph of Naruto - an enlarged photo of his junior high's school picture.

She started to tip it the framed photograph down, but something inside her told her she couldn't. Even if she removed all traces of him, she thought sorrowfully, the pain would never disappear.

**xXxXxXx**

Hinata awoke to the smell of _kare raisu_. She inhaled the delicious aroma and, feeling wide awake, got up and did her morning routine (which took quite some time) before running down the stairs. Hanabi was setting the table with two plates heaped with steaming, glistening rice with curry sauce dribbled over the dish.

"Good morning, Hanabi-chan!" Hinata took another deep breath, relishing the appetizing scent. "It smells good!"

"Thanks. It's really nothing, though. I just made it using last night's leftovers." Hanabi watched silently as Hinata helped herself to some of the food. "It's raining, by the way."

"Oh?" Hinata smiled. "How nice."

"Oh...by the way...Uchiha-san is outside the door."

WWWWWHHHHHHAAAAAT??!

Hinata choked on her food and started coughing. Hanabi looked at her rather strangely.

"Are...are you okay?" she asked hesitantly.

Hinata picked up her glass of orange juice and washed down the lump in her throat. Her throat was still sore, but at least she wasn't hacking anymore.

"Y-yeah."

Hanabi stared suspiciously at her sister. It was rare that Hinata was flustered _this _much.

Hinata coughed again. "U-ummm," she mumbled, "how long was...was Uchiha-san waiting outside?"

"Quite a long time." Hanabi tapped her chin thoughtfully as she tried to remember when exactly he came. "I believe he came around half an hour ago."

HALF AN HOUR?

An image of Sasuke standing outside her door, huddled in the rain, with annoyed slits for eyes popped into her mind.

This...didn't look good.

Hinata gulped down her food in a flash, got her things, and ran to get her umbrella. As she started to leave, Hanabi stopped her.

"Hinata..."

"Yes?"

"You...and Uchiha-san...aren't...what is the term - ah, 'going out?' " Hanabi spoke in a monotone, her voice full of pure innocence.

Hinata's face was so red that anyone who looked at her from a distance would think that she was a large tomato with blue hair and clothes.

"Th-the bus is going to leave - I h-have to go - b-bye, Hanabi-chan - I'll see you after school."

The poor girl stumbled out of the door and slammed it behind her quite loudly in an attempt to disappear. Hanabi looked at the clock, an amused smile curling along the corner of her lips.

The bus didn't leave for another ten minutes.

**xXxXxXx**

He didn't say anything to her when she emerged, but she had a feeling he was giving her a _took-you-long-enough_ look.

"U-um...I'm sorry for making you wait. You're probably very wet now." Hinata offered him the umbrella.

"I don't need it."

"B-but...you might catch a cold."

"I have a very strong immune system, for your information," Sasuke responded testily, clearly annoyed at her worry for him. He quickly added casually, as if realizing he might have offended her, "It's not raining _that _hard, you know. And, anyway, I don't mind the rain."

Hinata was surprised. "Neither do I," she admitted. "In truce, I actually _love _the rain. Sakura-chan and Ino-chan think I'm crazy! They dislike the rain - they say it's too cold and wet and messes up their hair. But," she sighed, "I love the rain. It gives me a sense of calmness and peace..."

Sasuke was quiet for a moment. "Is that so?" he asked calmly.

Hinata suddenly felt very awkward. She realized she had been rambling on like an idiot about such nonsense he probably couldn't care less about. She hid her face in embarrassment as she went back into her house and put the umbrella back in its place. Saying another goodbye to Hanabi, who had a blank, confused look on her face, she went back outside.

"Why'd you bring your umbrella in the first place, then, if you don't mind the rain?" Sasuke sounded surprised.

"U-um...I was worried...about _you_," she confessed._ "_My sister said you had been waiting outside for me."

"I don't mind." Hinata thought he actually sounded sincere. "To tell you the truth, I'm somewhat..._enthusiastic _about all this, I guess you could say. My life has always been so dull and pointless, and now that I finally have something to look forward to...I can't help but feel..."

He stopped in mid-sentence. Hinata blinked, startled by the way he stopped so abruptly.

"F-feel what?" she asked curiously. There was a short pause before he spoke up, his response completely different from the one she expected and wanted to hear.

"The bus is coming."

And Hinata knew that was the end of the conversation.

**xXxXxXx**

"Hello there, Hinata-chan!" The driver today was Sakurazaki Rin, who worked only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She was a friendly, outgoing woman who was rather fond of the female Hyuuga.

"Good morning, Sakurazaki-san!"

"Why, you don't have your glasses on! It's the first time I've seen you without your glasses. You look adorable!"

_Adorable? _Me? _Adorable...? _

"Th-thank you..." Hinata smiled. Unknown to her, Sasuke glanced sideways at her, puzzled by the sadness in her voice.

"Oh, and who's this - ?" the bus driver noticed Sasuke. "Ah, Uchiha Sasuke! I've never seen you around here. Wait a minute!" A high-pitched giggle escaped her lips. "You two kids aren't _dating, _are you?"

"Wh-_wha-?_" Hinata's face lit up like fireworks in the night sky, while Sasuke's eyes turned to slits and his mouth resembled a dot.

"Oh, don't be shy, Hinata-chan! You two make _such _a lovely couple!"

Hinata was aware that the bus driver was attracting everyone's attention. Giggles and whispers of _'oh, look, how cute!' _and _'awww, young love' _surrounded the two very embarrassed youngsters.

"Shouldn't you be concentrating on your _driving _instead of blabbing about such nonsense?" Sasuke spoke up scornfully.

"Oh, don't mind me and my driving, dearie. My goodness, I can drive with my eyes closed and my hands behind my back!"

"That is physiologically impossible."

"You _know _what I mean! Anyway, don't try to change the subject - "

_WHAM. _

Sasuke's fist rammed right into the button on the nearby wall with enough force to knock over a lamppost.

"Oh, look - this is our stop," Sasuke commented casually. He dropped two tickets and 500 yen into the box next to Rin. "Keep the change," he told her.

"Eh heh heh...th-thank you." Rin opened the bus doors and nervously watched Sasuke stalk out of the bus, into the now rainless outdoors.

"You coming or what?" he called back to Hinata irritatedly, who was almost petrified with fear.

"I-I'm coming!" Hinata smiled apologetically at Rin. "I'm sorry for his behavior - he really is a good person inside, but - "

"Oh, it's all right, dear. Boys will be boys."

**xXxXxXx**

"EEEE! SASUKE-KUUUUN!"

Sasuke groaned inwardly. He had been hoping that his situation with Hinata would somehow make them leave him alone, but he guessed that God wasn't in the mood to have pity on his poor soul.

Hinata watched with dots for eyes as 2.99999/3 of the entire female population of the school rampaged over.

"Aiii-yeee! Is it true that you and..._that girl_ are going out?!" one girl shrieked.

"It can't be true, right, Sasuke-kun?!" another chimed in. "Because _I'm _your girlfriend! Right, Sasuke-kun?!"

"No, he's not! He's _mine!" _

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"He likes me better! I have longer hair!"

"NUH-UH!"

"YEAH-HUH!"

The two started arguing, which goaded the other girls to join in.

"NO! SASUKE-KUN'S MINE!" Like a boa constrictor, a dark-haired girl latched herself onto Sasuke, nearly suffocating him.

"NO, HE'S NOT!" A girl with orange hair tried to jerk him away from the red-head's grip. "HE LIKES _ME _BETTER!"

"SASUKE-KUN DOESN'T LIKE GIRLS WITH HETEROCHROMIA!" the other girl shouted in her rival's face.

A question mark along with an exclamation mark appeared above Sasuke's head. _Since when did I say THAT? Good grief..._

"All right, break it up! ALL OF YOU!"

One by one, Sasuke felt the girls' possessive arms being torn away from him. Gradually, the crowd of his fangirls quieted, guiltily staring at the ground as the headmistress glared at them, hands on her hips.

"I'm disgusted with all of you! What is Uchiha to you, a teddy bear or a boy?!"

_Both. _None of the girls had the guts to say this, though.

Sasuke's eye twitched. _A teddy bear? How flattering, being compared to a stuffed plushie. _

"Keep your mitts off him from now on!" Tsunade commanded. "He's Hinata's ma - I mean, escort, so he doesn't have time to deal with you girls and your repulsive behavior. Next time I see _any _of you latching onto him, you'll be spending an _hour _after school cleaning up _each _and _every _restroom in this school! Yes, Kagurazaka, that includes the toilets, and yes, Yukihiro, that includes the boys' restroom, and you know how messy boys can be. Plus, _some _of them can't seem to aim very well."

Tsunade shot a look across the courtyard at Naruto, who was completely oblivious and laughing loudly with a companion. All the fangirls sweatdroppped and shuddered at the thought of cleaning after Naruto's mess, or _any _guy's mess, for that matter. Hinata simply turned red.

"Is that clear, girls?" Tsunade demanded.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama..." they mumbled obediently.

"Good." Tsunade turned to Hinata with a bright smile. "Oh, hello there, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata blinked at the sudden change of her behavior. "G-good morning."

"How's it going with Uchiha? Is he being too difficult? Ah, well, you'll just have to bear with him! It _is _only a week, after all!"

"Y-yes, of course..." Hinata blinked again, startled. _Wait a minute..._ "Um...Tsunade-sama, how do you know -?"

Tsunade's eyes turned into upside down U's. "Well, there's no such thing as caring _too _much, right, Hinata-chan?" she asked cheerfully. "I was so worried that I went to the optometrist and asked for the information regarding the repair of your glasses. Aren't you glad it's _only _a week?"

"Um...yes." _...I think. _

"And to make it even _more _convenient, I made it so that you two have the same classes for the next several days! Isn't that wonderful?"

_Erk. _Hinata cringed, mortified at all the whispers and gasps of disbelief that were coming from all around her.

"Well, so long!" Tsunade raised a hand in a lazy wave. "I'm off to do...some _work._"

She walked off, whistling happily. There was a long silence, which was broken by the mumbling of the fangirls as they dispersed.

"She seemed...particularly _happy _about the whole situation," Sasuke grumbled.

Hinata laughed, but stopped and glanced around. She thought she could hear Sakura, Ino, and Tenten chatting somewhere nearby. Sure enough, she saw a group of three girls with brown buns, blonde hair, and pink locks.

"Um, is it okay if I go talk to my friends?" she asked. "You won't need to walk me to class - I can just walk with them."

"Do whatever you like. It's none of my concern."

"Thank you." Hinata turned away and started to walk off, but Sasuke called coolly after her.

"Make sure you don't trip over something and fall flat on your face."

Just as he said so, she gave a _"oof!" _as she tripped over something hard on the ground. Quickly regaining her balance, she walked on faster, blushing furiously. She could just see him now, smirking and muttering under his breath, _"What did I tell you?" _

"Oh, hey there, Hinata-chan!" Tenten's cheerful voice rang out as Hinata neared the three girls.

"U-um...I'm just...waiting." Hinata's eyes lit up. "Um, Tenten-chan, have you seen Neji-niisan around?"

"Nope."

"Oh..." Hinata felt both disappointed and relieved.

"Why? Do you want me to give him a message?" Tenten offered.

"N-no, thank you." She thought it'd be best if she talked to him in person.

"Oh, yeah, by the way, Hinata," Ino spoke up, "what are you going to join?"

"P-pardon me?"

"The school activities, silly! What else?"

"Oh...um, I haven't really decided," Hinata admitted. She had almost forgotten about the school activities...

"I haven't decided, either," Sakura finally spoke up, sighing. "I was having second thoughts...and it kinda hurts my brain to think about it," she sighed again. "What about you, Tenten?"

"Ehhh...probably volleyball or tennis."

"Go figure." Sakura smiled.

"I hear Neji might be joining kendo," Ino said, smiling and raising her eyebrow at Tenten, who didn't notice the gesture.

"Go figure again," Sakura teased.

"What's wrong with kendo?" Tenten tossed her head back, as if offended.

"Nothing...nothing. Well, then, why don't you join kendo then?"

"I don't want to."

"Aww, sure you do! This is your chance to be near your dear Neji-kun!"

"I don't want to, okay?" Tenten said stiffly. "Kendo isn't my thing, and...you know, just because I like him, that doesn't mean I'm gonna stalk him and do anything in my power to be with him, romantic as that may sound." _Which, truthfully, doesn't sound really romantic... _"I just want to be...well, by his side, not go out of my way to stick to him like a parasite."

Tenten raised her eyebrow, glancing from Ino and Sakura, who were both gaping at her with sparkling eyes.

"Wow, Tenten-chan!" Sakura squealed.

"Huh? Did I miss something here?" Tenten was confused.

"You've finally been able to express your feelings!"

Tenten flushed. "S-say what?" _Oh, crap, I let my big mouth get the best of me. _"I-is that a bad thing?!" she demanded nervously.

"You kidding?'' Sakura shook her head in disbelief.

"Being in denial and beating up friends for trying to get you _out _of denial is a bad thing," Ino added.

Tenten sweatdropped.

"But, you know, if you just hide behind bushes and stare at him from afar, he'll never know you even exist. He's never going to have the chance to get to know you."

Hinata straightened up at this, her eyes widening just a bit.

Steam rose slightly from Tenten's ears. "What's _that _supposed to mean? You make me sound like I'm some pitiful girl with androphobia!" Tenten turned to Hinata and grinned awkwardly. "No offense, Hinata-chan."

"N-none taken."

"Anyway, Neji-kun _does _know I exist!" Tenten exclaimed. "We're friends! Uh...at least, I _think _we are. Well, maybe _he _doesn't think of me as a friend..." Tenten sighed. "Anyway, it wouldn't be a good idea for me to follow Neji-kun around too much. He doesn't like stalkers, y'know," she continued. "So he'd have a totally bad impression of me if I stuck to him like a leech. Popular guys like him don't like clingy, lovey dovey fangirls."

This time, it was Sakura's and Ino's turn to fume. "What's _that _supposed to mean?!"

Tenten sweatdropped. "N-nothing!"

"Hyuuga Hinata, please report to the office. Hyuuga Hinata, please report to the office." Shizune's voice flowed out of the intercom.

"Hm? Wonder what's wrong?" Tenten blinked.

Hinata smiled weakly. "If I know any better, Tsunade-sama wants to talk to me about ...things."

"Yeah...you mean Sasuke-kun, right?" Sakura said slowly.

Hinata swallowed. "Y-yes," she confessed softly, ducking her head.

Sakura smiled. "It's okay, Hinata-chan. I'm not mad or anything. Just go before Tsunade-sama gets impatient."

The four girls said their goodbyes and Hinata left. Sakura had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Tenten-chan, have you ever considered going out with Lee-kun?" she asked curiously.

A vein throbbed in Tenten's forehead. "LEE?!" Tenten exclaimed. "Lee, as in the bushy-eyed weirdo with the bowl-haircut? Lee, as in the weirdo who goes around screaming "YOSH!"? Lee, as in the sap who could star in a drama? Lee, as in - ?"

"Yes, _him!_"

"We're talking about the same guy here...?!" Tenten croaked weakly. "Are you joking?!"

"I'm serious! You should think about dating him!"

"WHY?!" Tenten made a face. _Ugh. No way. I'd rather date _Naruto _than Lee. At least Naruto has some good taste and a somewhat okay sense of style...excluding the orange, but hey, he's like Legolas from Lord of the Rings compared to Lee! _"Anyway, I thought he liked _you!_"

"Yeah, but he got over me," Sakura said simply, running her hand through her hair casually. "There're rumors that he's crushing on _you _now."

"Gee, why wasn't I informed?" Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and I _have _noticed Lee staring at you a lot these days," Ino grinned.

"I don't think so." Tenten frowned. _Ewww. _

"Yeah! And I swear he talks privately with Gai-sensei about his feelings for you!" Sakura added.

"How very flattering." Tenten's eye twitched. "Anyway, how would _you _know if he was "talking privately" with Gai-sensei?"

"Well, you know, they DO shout pretty loud." Sakura shrugged.

_I hate to say it, but she DOES have a point. _Tenten made a face, remembering all the other times she had witnessed their "youthfully beautiful" (as Gai and Lee called them) moments. More like youthfully _stupid_, she thought in disgust.

"If he _does _like me, why won't he ask me out?" she demanded. "He had no trouble asking _you _out, Sakura."

"Well, how am I supposed to know? Boys are boys. Anyway, I'm sure he likes you - A LOT! So why don't you give him a chance?"

"Chyah! You and Lee-kun make such a cute couple!" Ino squealed dreamily, clasping her hands together.

"Ugh. No thanks. Why don't _you _date _Naruto_, Sakura? And, Ino, why don't _you _date that lazy bum - whathisface, Shikamaru?"

"No way! I like Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and Ino exclaimed in unison.

"Well, you know what? Sorry to break your dear little matchmaking hearts, guys, but I like Neji-kun."

"Funny you should mention matchmaking, Tenten dear," Sakura smirked. "I'll see to it that you and Lee get together by the end of this school year!"

"Awesome!" Ino clapped her hands like a happy-go-lucky child.

"UGH! Forget it! Try all you like, but the day he becomes my boyfriend is the day Naruto becomes _your _boyfriend, Sakura, or when Shikamaru becomes _your _boyfriend, Ino!"

"Really, the chances of you and Lee getting together are a LOT more possible than Naruto and _me _getting together or Ino-chan getting together with Shikamaru!"

"I second that," Ino added. "Don't be so stubborn, Tenten-chan!"

"I'm not being stubborn! I'm being logical!"

**xXxXxXx**

**_----_ + _Break + ----_**

Hinata sighed and rested her head in her arms, feeling rather exhausted due to dealing with Sasuke's fangirls. The nicer ones inquired politely (or tried to) whether she was dating him, but the more possessive and meaner ones made crude comments and warned her that she should back off from him if she knew what was good for her. Naturally, she considered asking Sasuke not to take care of her anymore, but she knew very well he would refuse. He was just so stubborn like that, she sighed inwardly.

On top of that, Tsunade had dropped the bomb on her by informing her (quite cheerfully) that she had told her teachers that anytime their students had to partner up or get in groups, they would see to it that Sasuke and Hinata would always be together. Hinata had protested that she could manage fine without him, but Tsunade wouldn't hear it. This would be a "learning experience" for both of them, or so Tsunade said. The only thing Hinata would learn from this was that fangirls were one of the most annoying and scariest things in the world.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump.

"Huh?!" Her head jerked up and she found herself looking into the face of Haruno Sakura.

"Relax, it's just me!" Sakura raised her hands defensively and laughed.

"Ah, Sakura-chan? Where's Ino-chan -?"

"Restroom. I'm just hanging around here waiting for her to come back." Sakura hesitated. "So...how is it going...with...you know, Sasuke-kun?"

"Huh? Oh - fine...fine, I suppose." Hinata couldn't help but feel worried at the unenthusiastic tone of Sakura's voice.

"Um, Hinata? Um...I know this probably isn't true - but I have to ask. You and Sasuke-kun aren't going out, right?"

"O-of course not!"

"..Oh. Th-that's good." Sakura smiled. "How long is it going to take for your glasses to get repaired?"

"About a week."

"Oh...o-okay..." Again, there was a hint of uneasiness in her voice. She suddenly gasped. "Ahh?! S-Sasuke-kun!"

Hinata whirled. "Uchiha-san! Um...you're back." Hinata fiddled with her fingers nervously. Being around Sasuke and an admirer of his, especially any of her friends, made her feel _very _uncomfortable. "Um...if it's all right with you...I need to go talk to Gai-sensei about my grade."

"Fine."

"Okay. Bye, Sakura-chan."

"Uh, yeah, bye..."

Hinata left the room with Sasuke, leaving her pink-haired friend behind. For some strange reason, there seemed to be an even bigger gap between Sakura and her than ever before.

**xXxXxXx**

"...S-so, I can make up the points for the days I lost, Gai-sensei?"

"Of course!" Maito Gai grinned and struck a "nice guy pose." The two students could practically hear a _piiing _reflecting off his shiny, blinding teeth. "After your glasses get fixed, you can come after school and make up the points!"

"Gai-sensei! Gai-sensei!" Rock Lee came bounding up to Gai. "I wish to ask you something - !"

"LEE! Must I remind you that interrupting someone in the middle of a conversation is _not _good behavior of one so youthful such as yourself?!"

Tears started to well up in Lee's chibi eyes. "I-I am sorry, Gai-sensei -!"

"Hey, um, Gai-sensei, I need to - " Tenten came running up.

_WHAM. _

Sasuke, Hinata, and Tenten watched with eyes as big as the sun as poor Lee freewheeled highin the air, screaming all the while.

_PING. _

Lee disappeared into the sky with a twinkle, just as the ever so pitiful Team Rocket in Pokemon does whenever Ash's beloved Pikachu does his famous "PIKAAAAACHUUUU!" thunderbolt. This caused the three students to sweatdrop, while Gai gasped dramatically and tears streamed down his face.

"Remind me to not say a word when he's talking to someone, even himself," Tenten mumbled under her breath, her face resembling a _-.- _expression.

"LEE, OH, LEE, WHERE ARE YOU?!" Gai bellowed, cupping his palms around his mouth and gazing up at the sky with teary eyes. "MY OH SO YOUTHFUL EYES ARE UNABLE TO DETECT YOU! LEEEEEE! LEEEEEEEEEE!"

Unfortunately, he was facing the direction of Sasuke, Hinata, and Tenten. His earsplitting volume caused the eardrums of the three to burst with a _POP _and caused such an enormous current that it messed up their hair. Most of Hinata's hair remained in a clump in her face, while Tenten's buns looked like soggy chocolate-coated donuts. Sasuke's hair, however, remained perfectly fine. Needless to say, he still had the expression of a rock.

"Erk...?" That was all Hinata could sputter out. Tenten, however, had a more drastic reaction.

_M-my buns! _Tenten gasped, patting her buns, flustered. _They feel like they're gonna dislodge! Gah! They take FOREVER to fix! This SUCKS! _

Tears formed in her chibi eyes as she gawked enviously at Sasuke. _Pfft, now I can see why girls fall all over him. His hair is SO darn perfect! Not even a single strand is out of place! GAHH! DARN YOU, SASUKE! ONE DAY I'LL DIG MY CLAWS INTO THOSE SHINY LOCKS OF YOURS AND RIP EVERY SINGLE BIT OF HAIR OUT! ...Hey, wait...this isn't like me! Why should I be jealous? He IS a pretty boy, after all. (Siighh...) Now that I think about it, he's GORGEOUS. What BEAUTIFUL hair...(sighhh) _

_Gahh - wait! What am I thinking?! Neji-kun's hair is ten times more sexier than his! And I bet Neji_'s _hair could withstand _both _Lee and Gai-sensei's lame shouting! And Neji-kun has a _lot _more_ _hair than Sasuke! Wait - umm...that sounded weird - OH MY GOD, I SOUND LIKE A PERVERT! Gah! Come ON, mind, OUT of the gutter! _

Not noticing the way Tenten was behaving like any other flustered fangirl or the way Hinata and Sasuke stood there so deadly silent, Gai continued to screech out Lee's name. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"The power of my youthful and keen sense of hearing is picking up something...Lee's voice!"

Indeed, something could be heard dimly, yet it was becoming louder gradually.

"GaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIII-SEEESENSEIIII!"

_**WHAM.**_

Gai toppled to the ground with a loud _'ooof!' _along with Lee.

"Ohhh..." Lee groaned, clutching his head, which had a very big lump on it. He then gasped. "GAI-SENSEI! OH NO! I HAVE FALLEN UPON MY BELOVED SENSEI!" Lee quickly climbed off Gai and sobbed dramatically. "SENSEI! SENSEIIIII!"

"L-Lee, I am old enough as it is...Is it necessary to lower the power of my youth?" Gai groaned from the pain on his back and his bursting eardrums.

"Forgive me, Gai-sensei!" Lee sobbed.

"No! It is _I _who should be forgiven!" Gai exclaimed, clasping Lee's hands in his own large ones. "I should never have raised my fist to you! Who knows what might have happened to you up in that perilous sky?! You could have suffocated! You could have been blasted off into the sun! Alas, you could have been attacked by hungry vultures! NO, LEE, IT IS I WHO SHOULD APOLOGIZE!"

"G-Gai-sensei!!"

"Lee!"

The two burst into tears and enveloped each other in a tight hug, and as they did so, a beach at sunset with crashing waves exploded behind them. It was like watching some sappy drama, the three students thought in disbelief, staring blankly at the two sobbing look-a-likes.

_And _this _is supposed to be my future husband? _Tenten grimaced, staring in disgust. _FORGET IT. _

"I'm getting outta here," Sasuke grumbled. "Either you can stay and watch this _lovely _scene, Hyuuga, or you can come with me back to the homeroom."

"I-I'm coming..."

**xXxXxXx**

As Hinata followed Sasuke down the empty corridor, Hinata couldn't help but replay the scene of Gai and Lee in her mind. Even though she was rather disturbed by their strange behavior, she couldn't help but feel envious. She wondered what it was like to love someone so much as to do such drastic things and to speak with such sincerity.

"Hey, Uchiha!" a male student greeted, holding up his hand in a lazy salute. "And is this your _girlfriend?" _He grinned at Hinata and waved. "Hey there, nice to meet you! You're a very lucky girl, don't you know that? Uchiha must think _very _highly of you if he likes you enough to want to hang around you."

Hinata ducked her head and tried to hide her face behind her long bangs. There was a mocking tone in his friendly voice, as if he thought the idea of _her _being liked by any guy was absolutely ridiculous.

"Guys like you are nothing but trouble for her," Sasuke remarked coldly, "so _beat it._"

He pushed past the startled boy, and Hinata quickly followed, ducking her head all the while.

_"What? I thought we were pals!" _she could hear the boy sputter in disbelief.

Although she was relieved Sasuke stood up for her in a rather indirect way, she was worried that Sasuke may have angered the boy. Oh, if only she hadn't broken her glasses! Then she wouldn't be in such a mess...

"You...you didn't have to...speak to him in such a way," Hinata murmured nervously. "You might have offended him..."

Sasuke snorted. "What did you want me to do?" he demanded testily. Hinata was startled at the severe tone of his voice. "Let him say whatever he wants about you? That's your problem - you just take the barbs everyone flings at you and you just do _nothing_. You're supposed to stand up to them - glare at them - let them know that you won't take any of their crap. But what do you do? You _let _them walk all over you! You do absolutely _nothing_. That's pathetic!"

Hinata felt as if every word that escaped his lips was a dagger stabbing ruthlessly into her flesh. _P-pathetic? I'm pathetic? _Hinata hung her head even lower. _I...I don't blame him for thinking of me like that. I _am _pathetic..._

"I...y-you're right. I-I'm sorry..."

"And that, too," Sasuke retorted. Hinata blinked in surprise. "You're always apologizing! Even when there's nothing for you to be sorry about, you _still _apologize!"

Hinata looked down at the floor sadly. Why did everyone see so many flaws in her? Was there anything _good _about her at all...?

"...You know what?" Sasuke's voice had become surprisingly softer. "Just...just don't take this personally, okay? I don't want to see you moping and getting all depressed because of what I said. Just...just forget what I said."

Hinata looked up at him in surprise. _Is...is this his way of...apologizing? _she wondered. Before she knew it, a small smile had formed on her face and she touched his arm with sincerity.

"Thank you."

Sasuke turned his head away stubbornly. "Hmph. Don't push it. I wasn't apologizing,'' be mumbled under his breath. "I just didn't want anyone pestering me with questions when they see you acting all emotionally depressed."

"Still...thank you."

**xXxXxXx**

_**+ ----- Lunch ------+ **_

Hinata clutched Sasuke's _bento _box tightly, waiting nervously near the doorway of the homeroom. _I...I hope he likes the _bento _I made for him..._

"Hi, Hinata-chan!"

"T-Tenten!" Hinata breathed out a sigh of relief. "U-um, hello. Um...have you seen Neji?"

Tenten's face grew very red, and Hinata blinked, puzzled. It was obvious Tenten did have a crush on her cousin, but normally, she didn't act flustered and nervous at the mention of her love interest. "U-u-um...n-no, I haven't seen him around." Tenten looked at the box Hinata held and pointed curiously at it. "Is that your lunch?"

Hinata blushed at the mention of Sasuke's lunch. "U-um..."

"It's for _Sasuke-kun_, isn't it?" Tenten grinned. "Oooh...how adorable! Our dear, sweet little Hinata-chan has a crush on our dark and handsome Sasuke-kun!"

"N-no! That's not it!" If a thermometer was placed into her mouth that very moment, it would probably melt. "I-I...I just wanted to make lunch for him because...well, I was worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat! That's all, really!"

"Oh?" It was clear Tenten wasn't convinced. "Well, okay, Hinata-chan, if that's what you say."

"B-but, really, I - "

"See ya, Hinata-chan!" Tenten lifted her hand in a lazy wave. "Good luck with your dark and handsome Sasuke-kun!"

Before Hinata could say anything more, Tenten was already walking casually down the hallway, whistling a happy tune.

Hinata fell back against the wall with a thud and sighed. How awkward! If _Tenten _thought that she was in love with Sasuke, what would everyone else think when she presented Sasuke's lunch to him? Well, Tenten was probably just kidding, but still...there was something in her teasing voice that told Hinata that she was proud of Hinata developing feelings for Sasuke.

_I just care about him as a friend...that's all! _Hinata told herself, as if doing so would make everyone else believe the same thing. She was suddenly interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"Hiya, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata's heart stopped. "N-Naruto?!" she gasped, straining to lift her head. Sure enough...it was him. She could recognize him anywhere - heck, she could recognize him even if she was blind and deaf (okay, that's probably physiologically impossible, but you know what it means!)

"Yep! In the flesh!" Naruto pointed to his chest and laughed heartily. "Anyway," his voice became serious, "Sakura-chan told me earlier about the whole thing about you breaking your glasses and being forced to tag along with Sasuke-teme. Listen, if he ever does anything to you, you can tell me and I'll deal with him, okay?"

Hinata blinked. "U-um...o-okay," she murmured. She suddenly felt very awkward, as if complying to Naruto's offer made it seem as if Sasuke would actually hurt her in any way. "B-but, I don't think he will do anything bad..." she spoke up weakly.

"Is that so?" Naruto smiled. "Okay, then, but if he _does_, you can always come to me. I'll be more than glad to punch his lights out for hurting you!"

"Um...uh...o-okay..- "

"Oh, yeah, by the way, have you seen Sakura-chan?" Naruto cut in eagerly, hopefully.

"No..." Hinata's heart began to wither painfully.

"Aw, man...okay, then. Thanks, anyway. See ya, Hinata-chan!" With a wave of his hand, Naruto walked off, whistling happily.

"Bye..." Hinata whispered sadly. She watched his blurred figure fade from sight before sighing and falling back against the wall, gazing up at the ceiling. _Why...why do I still feel this way for Naruto-kun? I had thought...I had thought that my feelings would just simply disappear long after _that _day. I...I guess...it's true when they say that while it may take only a day to love someone, it takes a lifetime to forget someone. _

She clutched the box closer to her chest, trying to drive out the empty, hollow feeling from her body. How would she ever find happiness if she continued to pine over Naruto? She wondered how other girls could possibly move on after they had been rejected. Perhaps, she thought miserably, it was just her. She was just too stubborn...too stubborn to accept the fact that Naruto could never return her feelings.

_I'm a fool. Why can't I accept that he loves Sakura-chan and not me...? I should be thankful he even considers me a friend. But...but why am I so selfish? I just want him for myself...but...Naruto-kun deserves to be happy! And it's clear...only Sakura-chan can make him happy..._

Her thoughts were interrupted as footsteps came to a stop right in front of her. Hinata turned to find three figures standing there, hands on their hips. One of them was very curvy and tall with long, blonde hair. The second was about the same height as the blonde and had a long, orange ponytail cascading from both sides of her head. The third was slightly shorter than the other two and had short, dark hair. Hinata blinked in surprise and peered at them through squinted eyes.

"Hyuuga, come with us," a female voice spoke up coldly. Hinata recognized her voice - Yukihiro Ayaka. She guessed that the other two were Kagurazaka Asuna and Kashiwagi Sae, Ayaka's loyal and faithful sidekicks. The three were some of the most popular girls in school, as well as the "possessive, mean" girls in Sasuke's fanclub.

Hinata's heart pounded furiously in her ribs, and she could feel her palms becoming sticky and slimy with sweat. This didn't look good...

"Wh-what do you -?"

"I said, _come with us. _Are you deaf or something?!" Ayaka sounded seriously pissed.

Gulping, Hinata reluctantly obeyed Ayaka's request and followed the girls, aware that they were whispering fiercely among themselves and turning their heads at times to check if she was following. _What will they do to me...? _Hinata thought fearfully, uncertain of whether she wanted to know the answer.

Finally, the girls entered a room which Hinata recognized as the girls' restroom. Hinata swallowed again, but slowly entered. Just as she stepped two feet into the restroom -

_SLAP. _

Hinata gasped in pain as she held her hand up to her stinging face.

"You've got some nerve," Ayaka yelled, "pretending to be some damsel in distress and forcing Sasuke-kun to let you parade around him like some sick little puppy!" She planted her hands on her hips angrily, as if to emphasize her point.

"You've got some nerve!" the other two girls echoed, putting their hands on their hips as well.

Hinata was too shocked and stunned to even speak up for herself. Even if she had gotten over the element of surprise, she would be too frightened to even mumble a word. So now...this was the part where she got threatened and possibly even beaten up, she told herself, her heart sinking in dread. She had seen these kind of experiences in the high school chick flicks and dramas that she watched with Sakura and Ino, but she would never have believed it would actually happen in reality, much less happen to _her_.

"Listen up, Hyuuga." Ayaka stuck her face right into Hinata's. "Let me say this _loud _and _clear _so it can get into that tiny little brain of yours. Sasuke-kun is mine!"

"Sasuke-kun is mine!" the other two chorused.

Ayaka's head snapped towards the others as quickly as a rubber band. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" she roared.

"Ack - erm, sorry, Ayaka-san! Sasuke-kun is yours!" they corrected themselves nervously. Even though Asuna and Sae were deeply infatuated with Sasuke, too, they were both very frightened of Ayaka and valued their lives.

"That's what I thought," Ayaka growled. She turned back to the trembling Hyuuga and her eyes fell upon the _bento _box she held in her hands. "What's this?" Ayaka snatched it from Hinata's hands. Hinata gasped in shock, staring in horror at the blonde girl.

"No...! That's - !"

" - for Sasuke-kun?" Ayaka finished smugly. "Sorry, girlfriend, but Sasuke-kun's mine! Why he would ever like someone like you is beyond me!" Ayaka glanced at the beautifully-wrapped _bento _box she held carelessly in her hand. "And as for this, I think its place resides somewhere just as cruddy as it is...like...the _trash can!_"

Hinata's eyes widened in horrified shock. "N-no...!" she found herself gasping. She ordered her hands to move - to grab the box away from Ayaka - to stop her, but her hands couldn't budge from their spots beside her sides.

A loud _CLANG _told her that Ayaka had dropped the box onto the floor. Before Hinata could even comprehend what was going on, she heard a loud _WHAM _crashing down on the box.

It was obvious, even to her that Ayaka had stepped onto it. Onto Sasuke's lunch. Onto the lunch that Hinata had worked so hard to prepare. Onto the lunch Hinata had put her entire heart into, something she hadn't been capable of doing for a long time.

Hinata could feel anger, dumbfounded confusion, and horror all at once, building up and boiling in her chest. Why? What had she done wrong? What did she do to make everyone hate her so much?

"Oh, don't feel _too _bad, Hyuuga," Ayaka said calmly, faking sympathy and sincerity in her voice. "Sasuke-kun wouldn't have accepted it from you, anyway. So I'm doing you a favor, really!"

The three girls broke a fit of hyena laughter and Hinata could feel angry and hurt tears in her eyes. Why? Why couldn't she stand up to them?! She was so pathetic! She couldn't utter a word! She couldn't even _try _to stop them! Sasuke was right...! She _was _pathetic!

"Excuse me, butthat's _my _lunch you're stepping on."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. _S-Sasuke? _

All four girls whirled. Sasuke was outside the doorway of the restroom. Fortunately for Hinata, the confrontation between Ayaka and she had taken place right in plain view. Anyone passing by could have just seen them right away. Luckily, it was Sasuke. Hinata couldn't help but feel relieved.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Ayaka managed to muster. "Wh-what -?"

"You heard me. That's _my _lunch you're stepping on."

"B-but...you wouldn't want it!" Ayaka sputtered, panicked. "You wouldn't want the filth that this girl makes! I-I - "

"It's _my _lunch and I'm feeling a little hungry right now," Sasuke interrupted coolly, darkly, "so would you be so helpful as to give it to me? I would take it myself, of course, but..." Sasuke glanced meaningfully at the sign that read **GIRLS' RESTROOM. **

"O-of course, Sasuke-kun!" Ayaka, with a look of defeat, scrambled to her knees, scooped up the lunch, and exited the restroom to hand it over to Sasuke, followed by Asuna and Sae. Hinata meekly stepped outside of the restroom, keeping her eyes on the floor. Sasuke's cold, piercing eyes shifted from Sae, Asuna, and Ayaka, making them stare down at the ground guiltily.

"I'm disgusted. Now beat it before I dislike you even more!"

"Y-yes, Sasuke-kun!" the three girls gulped. They turned to scramble off, but Sasuke stopped them.

"Wait. Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Huh? Wh-what do you mean?" Ayaka asked nervously.

"Hn. For girls who act so superior, you sure don't have any manners."

Ayaka quickly got the hint, but she remained silent for a while, clenching her teeth behind her pursed lips. She turned her head to Hinata, but kept her eyes on the floor. "I-I'm sorry, Hyuuga-san," she managed to mumble out, almost choking on her rash apology.

"We're sorry," Asuna and Sae muttered in unison. They then turned away and walked off. Hinata gulped. So many thoughts were rushing through her mind that she really couldn't sort them out. She opened her mouth, trying to thank Sasuke for saving her, but instead of a grateful thanks, something else slipped out clumsily.

"I-I'm sorry - I bet the food is all messy now." Hinata mentally slapped herself. Yep, what a great way to thank him for saving her butt from the evils of his fangirls.

"It's still edible, right?" Sasuke shrugged. "I don't mind. C'mon, let's get back to the homeroom."

"W-wait!"

"Yeah?" Sasuke looked at her curiously. Hinata gazed down in silent embarrassment at her hands.

"U-um...is it all right of me...to ask you to eat somewhere...where people won't notice that you're eating my -?"

Before she could finish, Sasuke interrupted her with a heavy sigh.

"You just have to ignore them! It's not like the end of the world if they catch me eating something you made. And, anyway, I couldn't eat in an isolated, empty place if I tried, because no matter where I go, there will always be people, especially girls - well, excluding the boys' restroom, but whatever. Now, come on, lunch is going to be over soon."

Defeated, Hinata sighed unhappily before following Sasuke back to the homeroom. There was a slight commotion when they entered, but Sasuke simply ignored them and sat down at his seat. Hinata gulped and took her seat beside him, taking out her own _bento._

The commotion only increased as everyone realized that Sasuke was - GASP - eating _bento _made by a _girl - Hyuuga Hinata, _of all people!

_Uhn...I think I'm going to be sick. _Hinata covered her mouth, mortified.

"Just ignore them. Good grief, you act as if they're talking about dissecting a frog or something."

Actually, dissecting a frog wasn't _that _gross, but Hinata didn't say that. Instead, she forced a smile and asked him nervously.

"H-how is it?"

"Edible."

"I-I'm serious! I mean, how does it taste?"

"...Not bad."

Not bad? Hinata was slightly disappointed, but she shrugged off the feeling. Oh, well...it was better than "it tastes like crap!" or anything of the sort.

"What, did you expect me to praise you for your _wonderful _cooking?"

Hinata blushed. "N-no, that's not it..."

"Hnn." Sasuke held the side of his hand to his mouth casually, as if it were some sort of sarcastic gesture, but truthfully, he only wanted to hide his smile.

**xXxXxXx**

_**-------+ After School + -------**_

"Umm...Uchiha-san?''

"What?"

Hinata looked at him and smiled, blushing a bit. "I...I just wanted to thank you," she mumbled, "for...you know, before."

"I _had _to interfere, you know. What else would I eat for the day, then?"

Hinata giggled softly. "You're...you're funny," she confessed.

"Oh?" Sasuke looked at her strangely. "Really? Strange, I wasn't _trying _to be funny."

"But, you are," Hinata insisted. "Sometimes, in a strange sort of way."

"How flattering," Sasuke said dryly. "So I guess I'll be walking you home, right?"

Hinata's smile faded as she remembered Neji and what had happened the day before. Of course, she wasn't blaming Sasuke, but who knows what Neji would do if he saw Sasuke at her house again?

"U-um...I don't know." Hinata suddenly smiled. "Uchiha-san, you're like a wolf."

"A wolf?" Sasuke raised his eyebrow.

"Yes. You're very strong and independent. There are those who admire you because of your good qualities, like your courage. Yet, there are those who fear you because of your flaws, like your...well, like the way you act so cold and distant. You're scared to show your true self, and so, you hide behind a mask. You're constantly misunderstood, but there will always be someone who will understand you."

Sasuke gazed at her nonchalantly, not saying a word. Hinata turned away and blushed. _And...for some reason, I want to be the one who understands him. I want to be the one to take off the mask. _

**xXxXxXx**

A/N. You may notice from time to time that I might take the names of some characters of other anime for the names of some random people here. For instance, Sasuke's fangirls. XD I feel really awkward when I refer to such characters as "the girl" or "the blonde" or "the red-head" and etc as to distinguish them from other characters, so I decided to give them names. But since I'm too lazy to make up names, I take them from other characters of anime. _-sweatdrop- _But every time I do, I will put up a disclaimer, so don't sue me! x.x;;

So there you have it. Tenten likes pretty boys with _lovely_ hair! Who could have guessed? LOL. :P

The bus driver - Rin - is - yep, you guessed it - Rin from Kakashi's team in Naruto! You guys probably didn't think so at first because she acted so strangely OOC. Then again, the manga didn't show us much of her, so I don't really know what her character is like. So I just based her off Sakura since she and Sakura are kinda the same in some ways. :P

Buses in Japan are a lot different than American buses. I can't really put it into my own words, so I'm putting a disclaimer here. I don't own the following paragraph. :o

**On most buses, you're expected to board from the back and grab a little numbered slip as you enter, often just a white piece of paper automatically stamped by the dispenser as you pull it. In the front of the bus, above the driver, is an electronic board displaying numbers and prices below, which march inexorably higher as the bus moves on. When it's time to get off, you press the stop button, match your numbered slip to the electronic board's current price, deposit the slip and corresponding payment in the fare machine next to the driver, then exit through the front door. **

Whew, that was a long explanation. x.x Anyway, even though the main/secondary characters are from 14 - 16 years old (like in the time skip,) I decided to make them act as though they would in Part I. This will leave room for character development. :P (And, fyi, Sakura and Ino have long hair. xD)

And yes, I've purposely made Sakura seem more..."clingy" to Sasuke and worried about whether Hinata is dating him than Ino is. I just thought that if she was _so in love _with him as a kid as to ditch her best friend, I thought maybe she'd act more like this than Ino would, who kept quiet about her own feelings for Sasuke and didn't ditch Sakura when she found out that she liked him, too. And I think making Sakura act like this would leave room for more character development, don't you think? (:

Oh, yes, I should inform you that the possibility of Tenten and Lee getting together in this story is about somewhat high - maybe around a 70 percentage. Mainly, pairing up Tenten and Lee is for the humor, and, of course, Tenten's character development. Same goes for Shikamaru and Ino, except I'm not as interested in pairing them up together. I like ShikaIno, of course, but it seems a little too far into the story to introduce Shikamaru. x.x;; Should any of you dislike the pairing ShikaIno or LeeTen, you can either ignore the fluffy scenes or just skip them altogether. I don't want to see any flames from angry NaruIno/NejiTen/ShikaTema/etc regarding these pairings.

Naruto and Sakura will definitely get together later on, and this will be the part where Sakura matures. And, of course, when Hinata and Sasuke get closer, Hinata will become more confident and strong, and Sasuke will become more caring and open. All of the characters (well, the main and secondary ones) will develop into the characters they are in Part II (excluding Sasuke, but whatever. x.x)

Okay, now I shall end this author's note with a pitiful plea - PLEASE REVIEW! (:


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N. Okay, just like I promised, I updated before the end of Spring Break! (:

Btw, I've decided to put more POV's of other characters and not just Hinata. There are times when it feels...well, lacking and empty when I just put in Hinata's POV, so I'm going to put it other people's POV's, too, like Sakura, Ino, and Tenten. I'm not really sure if I should put in Sasuke's POV because I know for sure that I'll make his thoughts OOC. -_sweatdrops-_

Anyway, since there aren't many adults in Naruto and other anime to use in the story, I made up names for some adults in here, like Tenten's mom and the teachers. I really suck at naming characters, but eh...couldn't really do anything about it. _-sweatdrops- _

Oh, and the Home Economics ShikaIno scene was inspired by a MattChriss scene from **Dramacon. **(: I love that manga, heh heh. x) Some other ShikaIno scenes were inspired by **haruka-chan87's **story **Recipe of Love. **It's a really cute and funny story - I recommend it to Namine/Roxas fans! (:

In this chapter, there's some LeeTen, NaruSaku, SasuHina, NejiHina (cousin love, of course, ) and ..._a very, very minor _ShikaIno fluff. The ShikaIno isn't exactly fluff...but whatever. x)

Anyway, thanks for patiently waiting for my slow update! (: Enjoy the chapter!

**Things that Might Need Clarification in This Chapter**

_Kami - _God (in some cases it doesn't feel right when I put "God..." I dunno...)

_O-bento - _Packed lunch

_Okaa-san - _Mother/Mom/Mommy/Mama/Ma/etc

_onigiri - _rice ball

**_(Bold and italized words) - _**Character narrating

_(Italized words) - _Character actions/thoughts or flashbacks (you can figure out when they're character actions/thoughts or flashbacks, right? xD)

**xXxXxXx**

"There."

Hanabi handed her the phone.

"Thank you, Hanabi."

"It's no problem. So...I'll be upstairs doing my homework, all right?"

"All right."

Hanabi's footsteps faded as she went upstairs to go to her room. Hinata waited nervously for him to pick up. She found that her palms were moist with sweat, so she hurriedly wiped them on her pants. A part of her hoped he wouldn't pick up, but the other part of her knew that the only way to sort out the problem was for him to pick up. Hopefully, he'd listen, she thought, taking a deep breath.

"Hello, this is the Hyuuga residence. To whom am I speaking to?" Neji's voice flowed into the voicespeaker.

Hinata swallowed hard, afraid that he was still upset with her and would hang up on her the moment she spoke.

"Neji, it's me...Hinata," she managed to muster.

There was such a long silence that Hinata thought he had hung up on her.

"Neji? Are you still there?" she said shakily.

"I'm here. Do you need something, Hinata-sama?" he asked nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened between them. But even so, Hinata could hear the dim remorse in his voice. It pained her heart to know that she had made him so upset.

"Umm..I-I...I just wanted to ask you to come over right now."

There was another long silence, one of utter confusion and bewilderment. "I'm coming over right now..." he said finally, with a bit of reluctance in his voice.

"Thank you, Neji."

"Goodbye, Hinata-sama," he said hurriedly.

"Bye -"

_Click. _

Hinata sighed as she placed her phone back to where it belonged. Even though he was probably still sad about what happened, he still acted respectful towards her. It made her feel guilty.

She didn't know why, but she felt as if she needed to apologize to him face to face, not over the phone. But still, she couldn't help feeling as if using the phone would be a much easier solution to the problem.

_Ding-dong. _

Hinata jumped slightly, startled, before calming down. She opened the door and smiled in relief when she recognized the figure of her cousin.

"Neji..." she whispered.

He stood there silently for a while before he finally spoke. "What is it that you wanted to talk about, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata swallowed. "I-I just wanted to...-"

"You don't need to."

Hinata's eyes widened slightly. "Wh-what?" she asked, confused.

"It is not you who needs to apologize, Hinata-sama." Neji sighed, running his hand through his hair. "It is I who should be apologizing."

"But - "

"I...I know that you are able to make your own decisions. Ever since we were children, I always felt the need to protect you. It was partly because of my father, who told me that I should always look out for you, but..but that day I saw you crying at your mother's grave..."

_"Okaa-san...why did you leave me?" the young girl sobbed quietly, kneeling at her mother's grave, clutching a bonquet of her mother's most favorite flowers. "Why did you leave me all alone? I'm all alone now, Okaa-san." _

_A younger Neji watched his cousin from afar, his eyes full of grief and sadness. "Hinata-sama..." he whispered softly, bowing his head low. _

"...I...I swore to myself that I would always be there for you. I wanted you to be never _ever _be alone or sad again. I made up my mind that I would protect you." Neji sighed sadly, looking down at the floor. "I never knew that I would end up hurting you."

Hinata could not think of anything to say at the moment. She was feeling numb inside, as if her insides were frozen. This was wrong, she told herself sorrowfully. _She _was at fault, not him! Why was he apologizing...? She was the one who hurt him, not the other way around!

"I truly am sorry, Hinata-sama."

Hinata could feel tears forming in her eyes. "N-Neji!" she cried out, throwing her arms around him.

Neji's eyes widened in shock. "Hinata - ?"

"You...you shouldn't apologize for something that I had done wrong, Neji."

Neji was silent for a while. He closed his eyes, sighing heavily. "Hinata-sama, perhaps no one is truly at fault," he said softly. "I...I believe that this was Kami's way of testing our trust within each other."

Hinata's eyes widened. _A test...? A test of our trust? _

"And you know what, Hinata-sama? We may have had struggles to comprehend what it meant, but in the end, we passed the test."

**xXxXxXx**

**---+ Wednesday Morning +---**

_Chiiing! _

"Ah, the cookies are done!" Ino put on some mitts and pulled out a tray of freshly baked cookies. The sweet aroma of the cookies swam about in the air. "They look perfect!" she said happily, examining the cookies with a satisfied grin.

"Mmm, is that cookies I smell?" a dreamy sigh rang out. Inochi strided into the kitchen, gazing meaningfully at the batch of cookies. Ino rolled her eyes at his pitiful gesture and stuck her nose in the air.

"No, Daddy, they're not for you! They're for Sasuke-kun!"

"Of course, of course." Inochi sighed ruefully, a rainy thundercloud over his head.

Curse her conscience, Ino thought. "I'll whip up a batch for you after school, okay?" she sighed again.

Judging by the happy beam on her father's face and the pink hearts and sparkles floating about him, she guessed that was a yes. But it was no surprise. Ino learned how to cook from her mother, and her mother's cooking couldn't be beat.

_I wish Sasuke-kun would eat my cookies with the same pleasure as Daddy does, _Ino thought mournfully, scooping the cookies into a fancy container. _Actually, it'd be nice if he even _ate _my cookies at all. _

She knew very well where the cookies ended up, but for some reason, this didn't bring her down. She'd just brush it off with a smile and continue to bake cookies every school day and place it in his desk. But there was no denying the sadness she felt when she happened to pass by a trashcan on campus that was piled to the top with boxes of homemade cookies.

She shook her head, clearing her dismayed thoughts, and smiled brightly. _I won't give up, _she thought determinedly. _One day, I'll make Sasuke-kun realize that I'm the girl for him! I just have to keep trying. I know someday he'll realize how much I love him! _

Ino swept her o-bento and container of cookies into her bag and kissed her parents' cheeks goodbye.

"Bye, Mom, Dad." Ino started out the door.

"Make sure you pass that math test, Ino-chan!" her mother called out.

"And make sure you don't forget to make those cookies for me after school!" Inochi reminded her cheerfully.

"Yeah, yeah," Ino mumbled under her breath. She walked briskly towards the corner where she and Sakura always met in the morning before walking to school together. Sakura was waiting for her, a look of impatience on her face.

"What took you so long?" she demanded.

"Why, hello to you, too," Ino said calmly.

"You usually aren't this late, y'know," Sakura frowned irritatedly. Ino wondered if she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, but decided that she shouldn't ask.

"Yeah, well, we ran out of flour," Ino explained, "so I had to run to the store to buy some so I could bake cookies for Sasuke-kun."

Sakura looked extremely uncomfortable, which surprised Ino. Usually, Sakura's reaction would revolve mainly around saying teasingly something along the lines of, "Tsk, tsk. Poor Ino-chan...you're trying so hard to get Sasuke-kun to fall for you when it's obvious that _I _will be his future girlfriend."

"Um, Ino...?" Sakura finally spoke up.

"Yeah?"

Sakura looked away. "Do you think...that Hinata-chan has a chance of winning Sasuke-kun's heart?" she asked quietly.

Ino sighed and shifted her bag. She should have known Sakura was still troubled about that.

"Look...you should stop worrying about that," she said carefully. "The only reason Sasuke is being her glasses is because Tsunade told him to, not because he secretly has feelings for her or something. Anyway, I don't think Sasuke would ever fall for Hinata-chan. I'm not saying that she's not good enough for him. It's...well, it just seems so impossible. I can't imagine them ever falling for each other. It just seems so bizarre."

Ino tapped her chin thoughtfully, trying to imagine it. No, she couldn't. It just didn't seem right. It wasn't just because she believed she looked better with Sasuke. It was just, well, impossible. Imagining the possibility of them being together was like trying to imagine herself with Nara Shikamaru. They just didn't "click" together.

Sakura stared at Ino for a long time before breaking out in a relieved smile. "Yeah, you're right," Sakura admitted. "How silly of me, getting upset over something so small!" Sakura chuckled softly.

"See? What I'd tell you?" Ino beamed.

"I bet I made Hinata-chan uncomfortable by acting so distant towards her," she said slowly. Sakura ran her hand through her pink locks, sighing. "I think I should apologize to her later. She's really emotionial, you know, so just the tiniest thing could upset her."

"Yeah. Good idea." Ino grinned. Just in case, Ino thought, she'd try to take Sakura's mind off the whole thing. "Race you!" she shouted, taking off.

"H-hey! Get back here, Ino-pig!" Sakura screeched after her, using the nickname she had given the blonde when they were younger.

"Not a chance, Billboard Brow!" The wind blew into Ino's face and hair as she laughed.

_No...it won't happen again, _she promised herself. _I'll never let jealousy ruin friendship. _

**xXxXxXx**

Tenten gulped nervously, her hands behind her back as she waited near the entrance, waited for her beloved Neji, just as she did every morning. _Breathe, _she told herself desperately. She wondered why she was so flustered. Normally, she was rather comfortable around Neji or even thinking about him. Perhaps it was the incident from yesterday when she had imagined -

_Don't even go there_, Tenten mentally slapped herself. There was a chorus of sighs and giggles surrounding her - that could only mean...

Tenten gulped and looked up -

_Whooooosh. _

Neji came striding in, looking all handsome, flipping his hair casually as sparkles and flowers exploded in the background. Girls from all around sighed dreamily. Neji paused to run his hand through his hair calmly, sighing under his breath. Girls screamed.

Tenten swallowed. _My god, he's so...so..._hot.

His milky, smooth skin, as beautiful and soft-looking as silk, and his eyes, two perfectly-shaped moonstones, glimmered in the morning sunlight. And his hair...oh god, she didn't even want to start on his hair...

She flinched as he swept gracefully past her. _Gah! Say hi, you idiot! _Tenten told herself desperately.

"H-h..."

Neji turned to look at her questioningly. "Did you say something, Tenten?" he asked calmly.

_Oh, no! _Tenten swallowed. _I...I can't talk! Stupid me! Hi is only one word! HI! H-I! It's that simple! _

But it was hard looking Neji in the face without wanting to blush and then crawl in a corner and die of embarrassment.

"H-h.." _Dangit, what is WRONG with me?! _

"You have to speak up, Tenten." Neji sighed again, tucking some strands of hair behind his ear. Tenten flushed at the gesture. _Hair..._

"H-h..." Tenten squeezed her eyes tightly and said more loudly than she meant to, "HAIR!"

One look at Neji's puzzled face made her realize she'd said the wrong thing. _Oh, no! I said _hair _instead of _hi! _Oh, my gosh! Someone please kill me! He must think I'm some sort of idiot! _

"Hair...?" Neji repeated, confused.

Tenten regained her composure. "What I mean is," she tried again, grinning to hide her embarrassment, "how is it that you get your hair so nice and shiny, Neji-kun? Do you use some kind of special shampoo?" The muscles in the corner of her lips started to strain from trying to make her grin from ear to ear.

_Blink. _

A second passed by.

_Blink. _

Another few seconds passed by.

"Ah-um, sorry, I have to go now!" Tenten sputtered, turning her back on the bewildered boy. "I-uh-have to go...uh...fix my hair! Yeah, fix my hair! Eh heh, BYYEEE!"

Tenten zoomed off. Neji blinked several times as he stared in confusion after her retreating figure.

"What was that all about?"

**xXxXxXx**

Tenten fell against the wall, finally realizing how out of breath she was. _What am I doing? _she wondered wistfully, holding her palm to her sweaty brow. _Hiding from Neji-kun? This isn't me - I shouldn't be all flustered like this. If I keep hiding from Neji-kun, this won't get anywhere. _Tenten's chocolate brown eyes saddened at the thought. _I...I don't want to end up like poor Hinata-chan...always watching the boy she loves from afar. I...I have to be strong! _

The Chinese girl took in a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. She squeezed her eyes tightly and inhaled and exhaled a couple of times when all of a sudden -

Her shoulders were grabbed tightly by firm hands, causing her to jerk out of her trance and let out a little cry.

"Alas! What is wrong, Tenten-chan?!" a familiar voice cried out dramatically.

"L-Lee?!" Tenten managed to cry out.

"Your face is as red as a cherry," Lee continued to wail, as if he had not heard her, "and you seem to be having trouble breathing! ALAS! WHAT PERIL HAS CAUSED THIS TO BEFALL ON YOU, TENTEN-CHAN?!"

Tenten pushed him away roughly. "I'm fine, Lee!" the girl growled, rolling her eyes. "I don't need CPR, especially from you!"

Lee looked immensely happy. "YOSH!" he shouted gleefully. "I am glad to see that you are perfectly heathly and youthful state, Tenten-chan!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Tenten turned on her heel and stalked away, knowing very well that if Sakura or Ino caught her together with Lee, she'd never hear the end of it. Tenten glanced over her shoulder, irked to find Lee following her.

"Quit following me!" she snarled.

"But, Tenten, what if another misfortune were to befall on you and there is no one to help you?!"

"Believe me, I'll be just fine, especially without _your _help - AHH!" Tenten let out a rather shrill cry of surprise and shock as she lost her footing -

"Tenten!" Lee reached out for her hand, which Tenten instinctively held out towards him in desperation - but they didn't meet. Tenten cried out as she toppled down the stairs, landing with a _THUD _on the bottom of the stairs. "O-oww...!" she whimpered, clutching her right arm in pain.

"TENTEN!" Lee screeched out, zooming to her side and supporting her with his arms."What has happened?! Are you in pain?! Can you stand?!"

"What do you think happened?!" Tenten demanded angrily, squirming away from Lee's grasp. "Does it look like I'm in pain? And yes, I can stand, so you can leave now!" Tenten tried to rise into a standing position, but the movement caused a surging pain to burn in the flesh between her forearm and shoulder, making her wince and sit back down again.

"You must have landed on your arm," Lee realized, instantly holding her arm and examining it.

"Well, obviously!" Tenten snatched her arm away from him. "And it's all thanks to you! I was so busy telling you to go away that I didn't watch where I was going!"

Lee looked greatly upset by this. "I-I am so sorry, Tenten-chan!" he cried out mournfully. "I only wanted to assist you! I-I did not mean - "

"Yeah, well - uhn!" Tenten grunted as the pain burst severely in her arm. Suddenly, she found herself being scooped up like a doll into Lee's arms. "Hey, what the -?!" she sputtered in bewilderment. "Lemme go!"

"It is necessary that I take you to the nurse's office, Tenten, so I am very sorry to say that I can not comply to your request!"

"Ugh, lemme go, Lee!" Tenten groaned. "I can get there myself! It's my arm that's in pain, not my legs!"

Despite Tenten's shrill protests and her desperate struggles, Lee refused to release her. He simply went on his way, rushing down corridors, his hair blowing in the current and a determined look in his eyes. Tenten finally gave up, a sigh of defeat escaping her lips, and let herself hang loosely in his arms.

It was useless to struggle, she thought irritatedly. Whenever Lee made up his mind, no one couldn't change it.

Feeling very exhausted, Tenten allowed her head to fall and rest against Lee's shoulder blade. _(Sigh) Now that I think about it, this...isn't so bad. I feel...safe. I feel like I know Lee will take care of me. _

Tenten gasped inwardly. _Wait a minute, what the heck am I thinking?! UGH! _Lee _is _carrying _me! EW! Get your filthy hands off me, Lee, or I'll MAKE you take them off! I'll punch you SO hard -_

"SHIZUNE-SAN! SHIZUNE-SAN!" Lee burst into the nurse's office, gasping for breath. Shizune looked at the two, alarmed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Tenten-chan is injured!"

_Yeah, and it's all YOUR fault, _Tenten thought angrily.

"Oh, my!" Shizune's eyes widened. "Well, please set her down on the cot so I can take a look at her."

"I-I'm fine!" Tenten protested as Lee set her down on the cot.

"Really?" Shizune blinked, confused. "But why - "

"Well, my arm _does _hurt a little," Tenten admitted grudgingly. "I...uh, must have landed on it when I fell down the stairs."

"You fell down the stairs?" Shizune's eyes widened even more. "Oh, my!"

_Great, now she thinks I'm some sort of klutz. _

"Well, thank you, Lee, for bringing her here for treatment," Shizune smiled at the worried boy. "I'll take care of her, so you can go now."

"B-but...may I please stay by her side?" Lee pleaded.

Tenten's jaw hung open. _Please, PLEASE say no! _she inwardly begged Shizune, tears forming in her chibi eyes. One, she didn't want to be stuck with some dramatic lunatic. And two, she was absolutely certain that if everyone knew, rumors would spread. Her chance to win Neji's heart would be ruined!

Luckily, Shizune shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lee," she apologized. "I know you're worried about her, but first period will be starting soon and you can't afford to be late to class."

_YES! I SHALL WORSHIP YOU FOREVER, SHIZUNE-SAN! _Tenten beamed gleefully.

"Perhaps you could inform Umino-sensei -?" Lee said desperately. Tenten was back to brooding again.

"No, I'm afraid it's best if you just run along now, Lee," Shizune cut in politely. Tenten grinned happily, which went unnoticed by the two. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much. I know the best way to treat this injury, and it'll only take a while."

Lee looked defeated, but nonetheless, he swept down in a formal bow. "Thank you, Shizune-san," he said gratefully. "Please take care of Tenten-chan."

"I absolutely will."

Lee glanced at Tenten and smiled brightly at her. "I apologize for what happened, Tenten. I hope you will feel better soon!"

With one last smile towards the Chinese girl, he left the room. _Good riddance, _Tenten thought.

"What a charming young man!" Shizune remarked. "Now, let's see," she took the girl's arm and pressed on it lightly, "does this hurt?"

"A little," Tenten answered truthfully, smiling, yet her inner self was clutching her head and shrieking in disbelief. _Charming?! LEE? I think she needs to borrow Hinata's glasses!_

"Wasn't it so kind of him to carry you all the way here?" Shizune smiled at Tenten, who tried to force a nod and a smile. But as soon as Shizune turned her back, Tenten made a face.

"Well, all you need is some ointment and you'll be all right!" Shizune carefully smeared a bit of ointment over Tenten's forearm and started to gently massage and rub her skin. The contact with the ointment made Tenten wince.

"Don't worry - it stings at first, but it'll be better after a while." Shizune smiled reassuringly at the student.

Indeed, after a few moments, the burning tingle started to fade away.

"Hey, the ointment helped!" Tenten exclaimed. "Wow, Shizune-san, you're a miracle-worker!"

Shizune blushed lightly at the female's compliment. "Oh, it's nothing," she said modestly. "I just happened to know a lot about herbs and medicinal products, that's all."

There was a short and awkward silence.

"You know," the nurse spoke up suddenly, "kids who grow up feeling lonely and unloved usually lead unhappy lives. Did you know that?"

Tenten raised an eyebrow slightly at the topic of the current conversation. "Oh, uh, yeah...I guess," she mumbled.

"There are those who give up trying to reach out and simply remain the way they are. It's really heartbreaking because everywhere I go, there seems to be so much of those kinds of kids. I feel like I want to help, but it's difficult to reach out to someone when they've given up hope.

"And there are those who always keep their head high and as they say, " 'grin and bear it.' " And I have great respect for those who keep on smiling, even when they have no parents or when they're disregarded by most of their peers." Shizune looked up and smiled. "Don't you?"

Tenten swallowed as she disgested the woman's words.

"Yeah."

**xXxXxXx**

"Everyone, stand up!" the class president shouted.

The class stood up silently.

"Bow!"

The class bowed and greeted the teacher in unison.

"Sit down!"

The class sat down.

"Class, as you can probably tell," Home Economics teacher Miyazono Mitsuki announced, "I am rather exhausted, so we'll be making something simple for today. I'm going to pair you up with a partner and you two will be making _onigiri. _You'll be graded on three things - the completion of the project, the success of the project - meaning how it tastes, but most of all, you'll be graded on well you work together. Everyone understand?"

The class nodded in unison.

"Good. Now, I'm going to be pairing you up, so listen carefully." Mitsuki held up a list and started reading off it. Ino and Sakura grinned at each other and showed their crossed fingers.

"Haruno Sakura, you will be paired up with Minatsuki Saya."

Sakura and Ino surpressed a disappointed groan as they glanced at each other dejectedly. Sakura forced a smile and mouthed, _Oh, well. _At least she wasn't paired up with anyone obnoxious or stupid. Saya was a bit bubbly and hyper, but overall, she was okay.

"Oh, but Minatsuki is absent...and so is Inuzuka. So, Haruno, that means you'll be with..."

Sakura crossed her fingers. _Please...-_

"...Uzumaki Naruto."

**_"WHAT?!?!!?_" Inner Sakura screamed, anguished. "NO WAYYYYY!" **

Sakura groaned loudly, while Ino looked at her sympathetically. Naruto waved happily at Sakura, grinning. _THANK YOU, KIBA! _he thought happily.

Ino sweatdropped. _Poor Sakura. I'd hate to be paired up with some guy I didn't like_, she thought. She hoped her partner was okay. She crossed her fingers and waited for her name to be called.

"Yamanaka Ino."

Ino perked up in her seat. _Come on...! _

"You will be paired up with...Nara Shikamaru."

Ino nearly fell out of her chair in shock and horror. She was paired up with..._Nara Shikamaru? _It was her turn to groan now. _Why me?! _Ino wailed to herself. Obviously, Shikamaru wasn't pleased, either. Behind her, she could hear him sigh and mumble under his breath, "Why do I have to be paired up with that troublesome girl...?"

"Okay, students, get together with your partner!"

There was a slight commotion as everyone moved to sit next to their partners. Sakura and Ino looked at each other with annoyed faces. Both of them felt like they got the worse deal.

"Lucky you, Sakura. I'd rather have Naruto than Shikamaru!" Ino moaned.

"Lucky? ME? Are you crazy?" Sakura wailed. "At least Shikamaru _knows _what he's doing! Naruto is totally gonna mess up and I'll get a bad grade!"

"Ch, well, Shikamaru may be smart, but he is one lazy bum! He probably will just stand there mumbling about how troublesome everything is while _I _do the whole thing by myself!"

"Hey, I'm right here, you know," Shikamaru spoke up in annoyance.

"Class, mouths closed and eyes up here!" Mitsuki shouted over the class's chattering. "You're only wasting your time. If you insist on chattering, perhaps you'd all like to make the _onigiri _yourself without my instructions. Any mistakes and you automatically fail this assignment."

This shut the class up.

"Thank you. First, take about a handful of rice." Demonstrating, she scooped up a handful of rice from the rice cooker. "Next, wet your hands with water and rub a teaspoon's worth of salt into your hands. This helps to keep the rice from sticking. Then you lightly press the rice together with your hands, keeping your non-dominant hand flat to form the base of the _onigiri. _With your dominant hand, form the top of the mound into a triangle shape."

The class watched as Mitsuki expertly shaped the top of the mound into a triangle shape.

"Turn the mound once to shape again until you have a triangled-shaped _onigiri." _Mitsuki shaped the _onigiri _into a perfectly triangle. "I want you to be able to shape the _onigiri _before adding in the filling. Each of you will make three _onigiri_. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Get started!"

_I have a question - why the heck am I stuck with HIM?! _Sakura and Ino thought at the same time. But they didn't say a word as they glumly got up and got some rice from the teacher.

**xXxXxXx**

"Is this how you do it, Sakura-chan?" Naruto showed Sakura what looked like a wonky looking glob of rice. Sakura sighed, exasperated.

"No! You're not doing it right!" Sakura said angrily. _Saya, WHY did you have to be absent today?! _she wailed inwardly.

"But how do you do it?" Naruto asked confusedly.

"Ask Miyazono-sensei!" In her rage, Sakura put more pressure on her rice ball than she meant to and caused a huge dimple in it. "Crud!" she growled, more to herself than to Naruto. She grumbled under her breath as she tried to fix her mistake.

"But Miyazono-sensei is helping somebody else!" Naruto protested. "Anyway, I want _you _to show me, Sakura-chan!"

"Figure it out yourself."

Naruto glanced dejectedly at the angry girl before sighing and staring at his rice ball. Naruto tried rolling it between his palms and squeezing the top of the mound into the shape of a corner of a triangle, but the result wasn't very pretty. _Stupid rice ball, _Naruto thought. _Why couldn't we have made ramen or something? That'd be so much easier. Then again, all we really have to do is boil it and stuff..._

"Gee, Naruto! Weren't you paying attention to Miyazono-sensei?!" Sakura sighed, shaking her head irritatedly as she stared with disgust at Naruto's rice ball.

"I did, but it looked really hard..." Naruto mumbled. He tried again to fix the rice ball, hoping that it would miraculously turn into a perfect triangle shape, but it was no use.

"You're not doing it right!" Sakura sighed yet again.

Naruto had a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan!" he apologized with a dejected sigh. "I just don't know what I'm doing wrong."

The sadness in his voice and his pitiful expression made the annoyance and anger in her heart swirl away. _Boy, when did I turn into such a mean person? _she asked herself. _I shouldn't be too hard on him. _

Sakura sighed again, but this time, it wasn't from irritation.

"You're holding it wrong," she said, speaking in a voice more kindly than before. "You have to hold it like this."

Sakura figured that if she demonstrated, he wouldn't understand, so she took his hand and showed him how to move it while he was shaping the rice ball. Naruto blushed a bit as her soft and slender fingers gripped his own. _Sakura-chan, _he thought, staring at her pretty face and not really hearing what she was saying.

"...Understand?" Sakura finished explaining, glancing at him for his response.

"Hee hee..." Naruto chuckled dreamily. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him and had a _"what the flip" _expression on her face.

"Did you even hear what I said?" she demanded.

"Huh?" Naruto snapped out of his trance. "Did you say something, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."

**xXxXxXx**

Meanwhile, Ino was not faring that well.

"What the heck is that?" Ino glared at Shikamaru, pointing dramatically at his rice ball.

"It's _onigiri, _a rice ball that is very popular in our culture," Shikamaru said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, it sure doesn't look like it!" Ino shot back. Okay, maybe she was going overboard - after all, the only thing wrong with his rice ball was that it was in the shape of an awkward looking sphere, but still...! What she hated most was his smarta$$ attitude. It made her want to wring his neck.

"Perhaps you need glasses," Shikamaru said flatly.

"My eyes are perfectly fine, thank you very much!" Ino snapped. "It's your rice ball that is messed up, not my eyesight!"

"My rice ball is perfectly fine, thank you very much," Shikamaru mumbled calmly.

"Oh, _very _fine!" Ino said sarcastically. "In case you haven't noticed, genius, rice balls are triangular-shaped, not sphere-shaped! Actually, that's not even a sphere - it looks as if Chouji sat on it or something!"

_Thanks a lot, Ino, _Chouji thought irritatedly from the other side of the room.

"Who says rice balls have to be triangular-shaped?" Shikamaru asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Says the person who invented them!"

"Whatever." Shikamaru turned away and started working on his second rice ball.

"Don't you _dare _whatever me!" Ino screeched at him. "It's all your fault I'm going to fail this assignment!"

"Says you."

"OH, YEAH?!" Ino practically breathed fire.

"Yamanaka! Please quiet down over there!" Mitsuki scolded from the other side of the room. "I think Nara can hear you perfectly fine without you yelling at the top of your lungs!"

Several people snickered.

"Yes, Miyazono-sensei..." Ino mumbled through clenched teeth. "This is all your fault," she hissed to Shikamaru.

"I wasn't the one who was having a temper tantrum."

"Well, you'd have one too if your partner was a complete idiot."

"I can manage to control my temper perfectly fine now, so why can't you?"

_If Miyazono-sensei wasn't here, I SWEAR...! _Ino clenched her fists to keep herself from wringing the boy's neck. _Okay, calm down, Ino. _

Ino exhaled as if she had been running ten times around the school. "Okay," she said, more to herself than Shikamaru. "I guess I'll have to fix your onigiri for you since you obviously can't do it yourself."

Ino reached for Shikamaru's onigiri, but he grabbed it and moved it away from her.

"Leave my rice alone."

"No way! If I don't fix them, I'm going to get a bad grade on this assignment!" Ino tried to grab the rice.

"That's your problem." Shikamaru moved two desks away from her.

"It's your problem, too! Miyazono-sensei will give us both failing grades if you don't stop being a stubborn jerk and gimme those rice balls!"

"I don't care." Shikamaru shrugged.

"You should!"

"Why should I? Cooking is stupid."

"You're the one who's stupid! Now gimme that stupid rice ball!"

Ino leapt at Shikamaru and grabbed for his rice ball. Unfortunately, he was taller than her, so she couldn't get the rice ball that he was holding above his head. By this time, everyone had turned to look at this scene, even Mitsuki.

"Leave me and my rice ball alone."

"For a genius, you sure don't speak proper grammar!" Ino snorted. "Now GIMME!"

Unfortunately, as Shikamaru was stepping backward, he tripped over a leg of a chair. A small gasp escaped from his lips, followed by a cry of surprise from Ino. Well, you can guess what happened. Ino found herself on top of Shikamaru, staring right into his bewildered face.

She had never been so close to a boy - well, except when she glomped Sasuke, but this was different. She found herself blushing instinctively, but as soon as she heard the whistles and cat calls from around her, she gasped and climbed off him.

"Y-you...y-you pervert!" she managed to screech at him.

"What are you talking about?! You're the one who fell on top of me!" Shikamaru argued.

"But I bet he liked it!" a boy whistled. To Ino's horror, the whole class (except Sakura, Mitsuki, Shikamaru, and herself) started laughing.

"I bet she did, too!" someone else exclaimed. The class laughed harder.

_No...! _Ino thought, feeling the color drain from her face. She'd never live this down! And now...her reputation was ruined! On top of that, there'd be rumors! How could she get Sasuke to fall in love with her now?!

"Noooooo!"

**xXxXxXx**

_**----+ Lunch +----**_

The noises in the background seemed almost distant as Tenten continued to stare blankly at her notebook, lost in her thoughts.

_There are those who give up trying to reach out and simply remain the way they are. It's really heartbreaking because everywhere I go, there seems to be so much of those kinds of kids. I feel like I want to help, but it's difficult to reach out to someone when they've given up hope. _

Tenten sighed inwardly. _I...I had almost given up hope once. If it weren't for my parents or my friends, I would have turned out to be one of those kinds of people, _she thought sadly, her thoughts drifting back to her childhood.

_**I had always portrayed myself as the most unluckiest girl in the world. I had no friends, no sisters or brothers, and family issues. My parents...they started growing distant from each other...and then the fights started.**_

_"First a fever, then a cough, and then she passes out at school!" 9-year old Tenten heard her father bellowing from downstairs. "I could buy a _car _with the money I use on her hospital bills!" _

_"How can you say that?" she heard her mother cry out. "She's our _daughter, _for pete's sake! Her health is a lot more important than a car!" _

_"If you're so worried about her health, why don't you pay the hospital bills yourself? Why do you just sit there and do nothing to help pay anything?" _

_"You know _very well _that I do in fact help pay for things! It's just harder for me because I don't have as much education as you!" _

_"Hmph. Sometimes, I wonder why I even married you in the first place." _

_There was silence. Tenten huddled near the foot of the stairs, tears growing rapidly in her eyes. Why were they fighting? She had no idea why they seemed to hate each other so much. _

_"Sometimes, I wonder the very same thing." Her mother's voice was soft but steady with anger. _

_**They fought about everything, but mostly, they fought about me. It led me to wonder if I had caused the sudden change in their feelings for each other. But then, as I grew older, I understood. I understood why Father didn't love us. **_

_**It was because he wanted a boy instead of a girl. After Mother gave birth to me, the doctors said that she couldn't have any more children. He couldn't forgive Mother for not bearing a boy, and me, for not being a son. **_

_**Mother always tried to reassure me that he loved me just the same, but I wasn't fooled. Even so, I tried to be the son he wanted me to be. I would do what others would call "a man's work," like mowing the lawn and polishing the car. Still, Father wasn't satisfied. **_

_**My attempt to become the son that Father had always wanted turned me into a tomboy, but nonetheless, I was still a girl, and Father knew that. So did I. **_

_"Perhaps we should get a divorce." _

_"I wanted a divorce a long time ago, you know. I was just worried about what Tenten would think of it." _

_"She'll get over it. Lots of couples these days break up and their kids do fine." _

_"When did you become like this? You used to love us so much..." _

_"Things change, Chao." _

_**The day when my father left...that was one of the worst moments of my life. **_

_It was early in the morning, and her mother was still asleep. 12-year old Tenten liked to wake up early on Saturdays, so she got up from her bed, ignoring the fact that her clock read 6:21 A.M. _

_She could hear the clomping of footsteps and she peeked out in the hallway to find her father going down the stairs. He was smartly dressed and carrying a suitcase in one hand. Tenten felt a lump grow in her throat. She knew very well what was happening. _

_Before she knew it, she was running down the stairs. _

_"Father, wait!" Tenten ran up to her father, the knot in her stomach tightening. "You're leaving us, aren't you?" _

_Her father glanced at her from the corner of his eye but said nothing. He simply opened the door and headed out, closing the door behind him. _

_Something within Tenten's heart spread everywhere inside her body like a wildfire. Sadness, yes, but mostly anger. She couldn't believe that he had grown into such a cold-hearted man, and so willingly, too, without even bothering to try to change for the better. _

_She wrenched open the door and screamed after him. _

_"FATHER!" _

_Her father stopped in his tracks and looked back at her without any interest. _

_"You never really cared about Mother, did you? All you wanted was for her to bear a son. And when she gave birth to _me_ - a _girl - _instead, and you found out that she couldn't bear any more children, you couldn't forgive her - or me, could you? _

_"That's why you hate us so much, isn't it? You never listened to what Mother or I had to say! I know that you had always wanted a son and had no use for a daughter! But even though you were angry inside, you tried to go on loving us - but I wasn't fooled at all. I could see the unforgiving look and the hatred in your eyes. And don't think that because I was a child that I couldn't understand how you felt about us! Go on - tell me that what I'm saying is true!" _

_Her father was staring at her, his eyes narrow. Silence clung onto the air like a baby monkey clinging onto the fur of its mother. _

_Tenten was panting slightly, a bit exhausted from yelling so much and loudly. But she didn't let that stop her. _

_"You think that I'm going to pine after you now that you're going to leave us, aren't you? Well, I'm _not. _I won't let you have all the glory. I say - good riddance! Get out of here and out of our lives!" _

_Tenten slammed the door as hard as she could. She slumped to the floor, feeling something wet slide down her cheek. She didn't need to touch the moist substance to know that it was a tear. _

_She began to sob. All the triumph she had expected to feel - where was it? All the anger swirled away, leaving only the sadness burning in her heart. _

_"Tenten, dear, what's wrong? You were making such a racket - " Chao stopped in mid-sentence as she noticed her daughter crying next to the door. Her face softened. "Honey..." _

_Tenten felt her mother wrap her arms around her in a loving embrace. Tenten buried her face in Chao's shoulder and cried harder. _

_**After Father left, my life became much more empty and lonely. Even though Father really wasn't involved with me whatsoever, it felt like a big piece of my heart had been taken away. **_

_**And there was school. There were many students and even a few teachers that were prejudiced against Chinese or "half-bred" people. Being born from a Chinese mother and Japanese father, there were many direct insults towards Mother, for bearing me, and Father, for associating with a "dirty Chinese." **_

_**School was unbearable. Kids would constantly taunt me out being a "half-breed" or a "dirty Chinese." There were those who didn't hate me because of what I was, but they were afraid of acting too friendly towards me, for fear of what the others would say or do to them. The teachers were less outright about their feelings about me, but still, the way they singled me out made me both confused and upset. **_

_**There was also Neji. Neji, the boy I had fell in love with when she started fifth grade. He had protected me one day from the insults from a bunch of boys, and I had fallen in love with him instantly. I fell in love with his kindness, his confidence, his smile...**_

_**But apparantly, Neji wasn't interested in having a relationship. Somehow, believing that Neji did not love me, I believed no one else in the world did either. **_

_**I knew very well that Mother loved me a lot, but it just didn't seem to be enough. I wanted more than that. **_

**_And then...I met _them. _Sakura and Ino. My very first friends._**

_Tenten rummaged through her backpack. "Oh...I forgot my lunch!" she sighed heavily. "Oh, well...I guess I'll just have to starve for today..." _

_"You forgot your lunch?" _

_Tenten looked up into the faces of two of the most popular girls in her school, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. Tenten stiffened. Were they here to mock her? They'd never really talked to her, much less say hi. So what was with the sympathetic and cheerful smiles on their faces? _

_"Yeah. What of it?" _

_They both held out their o-bento. "You can have my lunch!" they said in unison. "I'm going on a diet, anyway!" _

_Tenten blinked, taken back by their sudden generousity. _

_"Did you...poison the food or something?" she said doubtfully, carefully. This had happened many times before - someone would pretend to be nice, and then make a fool of her later and make everyone laugh at her. _

_Ino frowned. "What are you talking about?" she asked confusedly. _

_"Why would we do that?" Sakura looked at Tenten curiously. _

_Tenten stared at them. They...actually seemed sincere. They didn't look like the types who would do something like this just to laugh at her later. She cautiously yet gratefully accepted the o-bento. _

_"Thanks." _

_**And so, we became friends. I don't know how it happened, but suddenly, after Ino and Sakura became my friends, a lot of people acted more friendly towards me. Maybe they thought that since Sakura and Ino were friends with me, I wasn't that bad after all. I don't know. **_

_**If it weren't for them, I would have ended up just like one of those lonely people who stood from the outside and looked in upon the circle of laughing kids. I'm so grateful. **_

Many faces came to Tenten's mind.

_Sasuke. Even though I had thought he was cute, I thought he was a bit stuck-up. He was always acting as if he had something shoved up his you-know-what. But...maybe it's tough for him to be so alone and that's his way of expressing it. _

_Hinata. I thought she was cute, the way she stuttered and blushed, but at the same time, I thought she was a little annoying because she was so spineless and emotional. But I hear that she's been picked on a lot and she has some family issues. A person could become emotional going through that kind of stuff. She's just lonely, too. _

_Neji. Even though it may not look like it, he seems lonely, too. Well, what could you expect? He grew up as an orphan and has been living alone for a really long time. I think...I think I should focus more on strengthening the ties of our friendship before I try to start a relationship with him._

_Lee. That crazy, hyperactive weirdo. The moment I laid eyes on him, I thought he was insanely weird. Turns out, a lot of people thought the same and picked on him for being so "weird." He didn't have any friends or parents, so it was really rough for him. The only one really close to him was Gai-sensei, but I can't imagine that would be enough for him. But...he still smiled. He still smiled. _

Tenten sighed and ran her hands through her bangs. _I...I guess I pay more attention to others than myself. I guess...I should smile more at them. I should try being more friendly. Even with...Lee. _At this thought, Tenten sighed again. _I should be more nicer to him. Maybe I should apologize for acting so mean towards him before? I guess I was just mad because Sakura and Ino thought Lee and I made a good couple. Lee may be weird, but his heart's in the right place...-_

"Hello there, Tenten-chan!"

Tenten nearly fell out of her chair in surprise. "E-eh?!" she burst out weakly.

"It is me! Did I surprise you?" Lee cocked his head innocently. "You looked like you were thinking very hard about something. I amsorry if I troubled you." Lee bowed formally.

"Uh, yeah..." _Be nice! _Tenten forced a smile. "Uh, it's okay. Uh, by the way...th-thanks for helping me before."

"It is my pleasure, my heavenly angel!" Lee beamed happily.

Tenten's jaw crashed to the floor. _H-heavenly angel?! What the HECK?! _she thought in disbelief. She glanced around fearfully, hoping no one had heard. _Thank God no one's here right now! _

"Wh-what did you just call me?!" she demanded.

"The meaning of your name is 'heaven,' is it not?" Lee bounced on his toes happily. "Heavenly angel...it fits you perfectly!"

"Yeah, but since when am I _yours?_" Tenten flicked his nose forcefully.

"Ouch!"

_Idiot. _

**xXxXxXx**

"Come on, Ino-chan, cheer up! It wasn't _that _bad, was it?" Sakura tried consoling her blonde friend, who was banging her head repeatedly on her desk.

"Yeah, says you," Ino moaned.

"But you didn't get in trouble, right?" Sakura tried again. "Miyazono-sensei didn't give you detention or anything."

"Sure, she let me off this time, but now she thinks I'm a "disruptive" student!" Ino yelled angrily. "And I bet she gave me a bad grade for today's assignment! ARGH, can you believe that? It was clearly Shikamaru who was at fault! Oh, why couldn't I have gotten someone else?! Even _Naruto _would have been better!"

"Yeah, right. Like I said before, Shikamaru is the better deal, since he's a lot smarter than Naruto. But the only reason why I fared better than you is because I kept my temper. Ino, maybe if you controlled that temper of yours, it wouldn't have been so bad..."

"Thanks a lot!" Ino snarled. "Some friend you are!" Ino buried her face in her arms and started moaning.

"Come _on_, Ino!" Sakura pleaded. "It wasn't that bad, right? You _did _seem like you enjoyed being on top of him." Sakura grinned and wiggled her eyebrow suggestively. "Too bad you guys didn't kiss -"

"DON'T EVEN GO THERE!" Ino breathed out fire, causing Sakura to look like a pile of ashes.

"I was just kidding!" Sakura whimpered.

A dark and gloomy aura radiated off the Yamanaka as she slouched over her desk, completely depressed.

"And you know what's worse?" she groaned.

"What?"

Ino clenched her teeth. "Miyazono-san said every time we needed to pair up for something, it'd be guarenteed that she'd pair Shikamaru and me together until we learned how to 'get along.' " She banged her head on her desk again, moaning, "Whyyy meeee?"

"How awful," Sakura said sympathetically, awkwardly.

"I can tell you're sincere."

"H-hey, I am, really!"

Ino didn't listen to Sakura's protests. She was too busy brooding over her shattered fantasies of winning Uchiha Sasuke's heart.

_**----+ Saturday + ----**_

_It's finally Saturday! _Hinata beamed happily. _Just three more days until I get my glasses. _

Hinata glanced over at Sasuke, who was standing there silently, staring out the window of the bus. Well, truthfully, she was only _partly _happy about it. She was glad that she'd get her glasses soon, but she was sorry that she wouldn't be able to be around Sasuke any longer.

It wasn't that she hated being around him. She just hated depending on Sasuke and worried constantly about being a burden to him. She was probably being a burden on everyone now. Sasuke's fangirls, the teachers, Sasuke himself...

Oh, she hated to think what they thought of her helplessness.

Aside from that, she enjoyed his company. Sure, he wasn't much of a talker and most of the time, if he spoke, it was to make a sarcastic remark or tease her indirectly. Rarely would there be times when he actually speak sincerely, but when he did, it made her feel special.

She couldn't really explain it, but being around him made her feel happy. She even considered him a friend now. She trusted him as if he were Ino, Sakura, Tenten, or Neji.

Speaking of Neji...

Hinata smiled. She was glad that Neji and she made up. Even though she knew very well that he was still uncomfortable about her being around Sasuke, he was beginning to respect her decision to stay around him. Of course, Hinata knew he was still keeping a close eye on the two to make sure nothing bad was happening, but nonetheless, everything was okay.

"Our stop is here." Sasuke paid the fee. "You coming, Hyuuga?"

Hinata snapped out of her trance.

"Yeah..."

**xXxXxXx**

"Good morning, Hinata-chan!" Tenten greeted her at the entrance to the school courtyard.

Hinata blinked, surprised. This was different from Tenten's usually casual hello, she thought.

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you, too, Sasuke-san!" Tenten turned to give a big smile at the dark-haired boy.

Hinata was even more surprised. Since when did Tenten ever regard Sasuke, much less say hello? Hinata didn't really mind, but she was surprised by Tenten's new behavior.

"Hn." Sasuke looked at Tenten, a flicker of confusion and puzzlement in his eyes.

"I'll take that as a 'good morning to you, too.' " Tenten laughed at her own joke. "Anyway, Sasuke-san, it's so nice of you to look out for Hinata-chan, but you don't have to look out for her at school! Sakura-chan, Ino-chan, and I can look out for her, you know."

"I don't mind," Sasuke responded in a monotone. "There's only three days left, anyway. I won't be looking out for her for long."

"But, still...I feel bad that as a friend, I haven't done anything to help Hinata-chan," Tenten confessed guility, running her hand through her dark bangs.

"I didn't say that it was fully _my _responsibility," Sasuke said flatly.

"But you're still taking full responsibility, anyway, eh? You're so weird, Sasuke-san." Tenten giggled. "But are you sure you still want to look out for her?"

"I can't let a _girl _suffer such hardship," Sasuke cast a sideway glance at Hinata, "especially such a helpless girl as her."

For some reason, it didn't seem like an insult. Even so, Hinata blushed.

"You sure have strong feelings about justice and generousity," Tenten remarked, giggling again. "But, you know, it's clear you'd only look out for Hinata-chan. Am I right?"

Hinata's face flushed, lighting up like a lightbulb. What exactly was Tenten trying to say? Was she hinting that Sasuke...-

No, she wouldn't even think about it. It was impossible. Tenten was just joking around, Hinata thought, sighing inwardly.

"What are you implying?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Well, I'm sure if some other girl," Tenten clarified, smiling widely, "say Ayaka-san or Asuna-san, broke their glasses and couldn't see anything, you wouldn't lift a finger to help them."

"Of course, because from what I know, they'd probably jump off a cliff and break several bones just for an excuse for me to pay attention to them."

"Excuses, excuses," Tenten laughed, shaking her head. She glanced at Hinata, smiling. "Well, I'm going to have to go to the teachers' lounge. I need to talk to Mitsumi-sensei about my grade. So long, Hinata-chan." She lifted her hand in a wave. "Sasuke-san, take care of Hinata-chan, okay?"

Sasuke and Hinata watched her go. There was a long, awkward silence. Hinata thought hard. Tenten had given her something to think about. _Why _did Sasuke offer to help her? It was true she wasn't clingy and love-sick like any of his fangirls, but even so...

"You know, Uchiha-san, most boys wouldn't do this for me..." Hinata mumbled softly, wringing her hands silently.

"That's stupid," Sasuke frowned, his dark eyes narrowing. "Why wouldn't they? It's just common sense."

"I...I guess so," she smiled weakly. "But...but you really don't mind being stared at? I can understand perfectly well if you don't like being around me because everyone is always staring at us..."

Sasuke shrugged. "I'm used to it."

"Really?" Hinata sighed softly, sadly. "I wish I were like you, Uchiha-san. You're so bold and brave. I can't even _move _when people stare at me..."

Perhaps, Hinata thought, he was bold because...he wasn't ugly. Being good-looking gives you an edge. But she was so plain and ordinary, it was absolutely pathetic.

Sasuke gazed at Hinata questioningly. "I don't think you want to be like me," he said slowly. "Anyway, I think you should stop wishing you were like somebody else. You're fine the way you are."

Hinata's eyes widened. _What...? _

"The bell's going to ring soon. We should get going," Sasuke remarked.

Hinata nodded, following him. Yet, it didn't distract her. What he said rang in her mind continuously, softly, beautifully.

_**You're fine the way you are. **_

xXxXxXx

**+---2nd period----+ **

"2-1, service!"

_WHAM. _The ball soared over the net.

"I got it!"

_WHAM. _

"Get it, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura tried to hit the ball, but unfortunately, she missed. Team Red groaned.

"You could have hit that!" complained a girl with dark hair tied back into a ponytail. The other girls mumbled in agreement. Sakura flushed, embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry -" she tried to apologize.

" 'Sorry' isn't going to cut it, Haruno," the girl cut in rudely.

"Hey, leave her alone, Orihara!" Ino spoke up defensively. "If I recall correctly, you missed before, too."

The girl shrugged. "So? That doesn't give her a reason to miss, too, Yamanaka!" she shot back.

"Orihara, Yamanaka! Quit arguing and continue the game, please!" the substitute, Sasaki Meiko, yelled irritatedly.

"Sorry, Sasaki-sensei," Ino winced. Orihara Tsubasa rolled her eyes, saying nothing.

"2-2, service!" the team captain of Team White called out.

_WHAM. _

"I got it!" Ino called out, hitting the ball. A girl on Team White hit the ball back hard, and it was a competition between Ino and the girl. In the end, Ino finally hit a good one and the girl on Team White missed.

"Yay! Good job, Ino-chan!" Team Red exclaimed happily. Several girls gave Ino high fives. Tsubasa rolled her eyes again, as if to say, _"What's all the fuss about?!" _

Sakura smiled weakly at Ino and mumbled a compliment. She couldn't help feeling jealous. If only she were as skilled as Ino...

"Hey, Haruno, get the ball!" Tsubasa shouted.

_Eh?! _Sakura's head snapped back like a rubber band. She found herself yelping and jumping out of the way of the ball. Team Red groaned.

"Hit it, Haruno, not run away from it!" Meiko called.

"Yeah, _Haruno_," Tsubasa agreed, annoyed.

Sakura flushed again. "Sorry," she mumbled. The other girls on Team Red didn't say anything, but the sour, dark looks on their faces told her that they weren't pleased with her.

"You tried, Sakura. That's what counts!" Ino tried to console her.

"Thanks...'' Sakura said half-heartedly. _I bet Ino's just saying that to make me feel better..._

"YOU CAN DO IT, SAKURA-CHAN!"

_Eh?! _Sakura glanced over at the other side of the gym, surprised and bewildered. _Naruto? _

"Don't be scared!" Naruto yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. "Just keep your eyes on the ball and hit it with all you've got! Show that sour-puss chick that you can do _anything!_"

Sakura felt the knot in her stomach loosen. _Naruto..._Sakura smiled in spite of herself.

"Hey, can we get back to the game or what?" Tsubasa demanded.

Sakura smiled, looking her in the eye. Tsubasa looked slightly surprised by the determined and confident look in Sakura's eyes.

"Okay, okay. Keep your shorts on, girlfriend." Sakura smirked. "I mean it literally," she added, gesturing to the lower half of the girl's body.

There were _"oooohs" _as Tsubasa glanced down at her shorts, realizing that they were sagging at her skinny thighs. She flushed, glaring hard at Sakura as she pulled them up.

"3-2, service!"

_WHAM. _

_WHAM. _

_WHAM. _

_WHAM. _

_WHAM. _

The ball soared over the girls in the front on Team Red's side of the court. Sakura stiffened, her eyes narrowed as the ball came her way. _Bring it! _she roared inwardly.

"HIIII-YYYAAA!"

_WHAM!! _

Gasps rang out as the ball flew over the net.

"I got - " a crimson-haired girl on Team White started, stopping in mid-sentence as the ball flew right over her head, "-it."

"No!" Team White groaned.

"YES! You did it, Sakura-chan!"

"That was amazing!"

"Good job!"

Sakura blushed. "Thanks, guys!" she beamed happily.

Tsubasa rolled her eyes. "Don't get so full of yourself, Haruno," she mumbled. "It was a lucky shot."

For once, Sakura didn't let Tsubasa's comments get to her. She turned to the scowling girl with a big smile on her face. "I still hit it, right? That's what counts!" she said.

The other girls nodded in agreement. Tsubasa glared darkly at her, but said nothing.

"Okay, girls. This is the last shot! Make it a good one!" Meiko called out.

"You heard the lady. Make the last shot a good one!" the captain of Team Red beamed.

"YEAH!" Team Red cheered.

"4-4, service!"

_WHAM. _

_WHAM. _

_WHAM._

"I got it!" Tsubasa jumped to hit the ball, but it soared over her head. From her position behind Tsubasa, Sakura ran forward and hit the ball over the net.

_WHAM._

"I got it!" a blonde girl yelled. She hit the ball high in the air. Everyone watched, tense -

_PLOP. _

The ball fell short of Team White's side of the net.

"NOO!" Team White moaned.

"Yay!" Team Red squealed. All the girls, except Tsubasa, hugged each other and jumped up and down. "We won!!"

"You did it, Sakura-chan! You rock!" Ino glomped the pink-haired girl, nearly causing her to suffocate.

"Erk - th-thanks, Ino-chan."

"Congratulations, Sakura-chan!" Naruto came bounding towards them, a pleased grin on his face. "What did I tell you? I knew you could do it!"

Sakura felt her cheeks grow warm at his compliment. For the first time ever, she was glad that Naruto was around. If it weren't for him, she was sure she wouldn't have enough confidence to score those two last shots.

She didn't know why _his _encouragement gave her strength and not Ino's. Maybe it was because he sounded...well, more _sincere._

"Thanks, Naruto-kun!" she said gratefully. "I needed that encouragement."

Naruto grinned and rubbed his head awkwardly, but inwardly, he was swooning. _She called me Naruto_-kun! _Halejuah, baby! _

xXxXxXx

Ino sighed inwardly. _Finally, I get to take a rest! _she cheered inwardly. _Art rocks. You don't really have to do anything much except draw and paint and stuff. _

She hummed happily as she entered the art classroom and took her seat. She waited for the bell to ring, so the art teacher could take attendance and carry on with the class.

"Class," Kazama Ayumi announced after the bell rang, "today we will be doing something simple because, as you may notice, I'm rather exhausted."

Ino raised an eyebrow. _Where have I heard this before? _

"So, today, you will be paired up and you will sketch your partner. When you finish, turn to another blank page in your sketchbook and sketch again. I have a list here of the pairs, so listen carefully."

Ino looked around briefly. There was no one she particularly disliked around here, so she didn't really care who she got. She waited for her name to be called, and perked up when she heard it.

"Yamanaka Ino, you will be paired up with Nara Shikamaru."

_HUH?! Sh-SHIKAMARU?! I never even knew he was in this class! _Ino's head whipped around and she spotted him in the last seat in her row. _WHAT. THE. HECK. _

Ino's jaw crashed to the ground and steam poured out of her ears. _Why the heck do I have to be with him - again?! _she wailed inwardly.

"Get to work, class!"

While everyone got up and sat next to their partners, Ino groaned and banged her head on her desk repeatedly. _Why, WHY me? _

"Hey, stop that, you're gonna damage some brain cells!" Shikamaru spoke up irritatedly, sitting into the empty seat next to her.

"I'm _so _flattered that you're _so _concerned about my well being," Ino snapped back.

"Hey, don't get all mad at me," Shikamaru said defensively. "I wasn't the one who chose us to be together."

"Whatever!" Ino turned away and began sketching vaguely on her piece of paper.

"Are you still mad about that incident yesterday?" he asked, exasperated.

"No, I think I'm rather _pleased _that there's rumors going around that we're dating!" Ino snarled.

"It's not _my _fault."

"No, it's Naruto's fault," she responded sarcastically. "YES, IT'S YOUR FAULT! Why did you take that class if you don't even know how to cook properly? Why didn't you take Technical Home Economics instead?!"

"My parents thought it'd be a _learning experience_, so they forced me to take that class. Don't blame me for something that's not my fault, Ino."

_ARGHH! THAT JERK! _She didn't even know if she was sketching the characteristics of Shikamaru's face properly, but she didn't really care. When she was done, her eyes lit up as she realized what her sketch looked like -

"Sasuke-kun..._squee!_" she sighed dreamily, hugging the sketch to herself.

"Hey, you're supposed to be sketching _me_, not _him._"

"You're not worthy enough to be sketched," Ino told him smugly. She peered over at his sketch, but she couldn't see it very well because his arm was in the way. "You done?"

"I was done a long time ago."

"Lemme see!" Ino grabbed the sketchbook from his hands and gawked at the page. "What the heck! A _stick figure?_"

Shikamaru shrugged.

"You jerk! I look _so _much prettier than that!" Ino jabbed her finger at the stick figure.

"Really? I think the resemblance is quite remarkable."

Ino tossed the sketchbook at his head.

"Ow! What the heck was that for?"

"For being a jerk!"

"Wow, your sketch is so beautiful, Yamanaka!" Ayumi had stopped by her desk to admire the sketch of Sasuke. "You have artistic talent."

"Thank you, Sensei!" Ino grinned and stuck her tongue out at Shikamaru.

"But I'm afraid that your sketch doesn't look a thing like your partner here." Ayumi raised an eyebrow.

Ino sweatdropped. "Ah-um, sorry, Kazama-sensei! I guess I'll have to do another sketch!" she said awkwardly, flipping to a blank page in her sketchbook.

"That's what I thought." Ayumi smiled as she walked off to survey the rest of the class.

Shikamaru coughed. Ino glared at him angrily.

"Shut up!" she hissed.

"It's almost impossible to hold in a cough," Shikamaru remarked smartly.

"That was a deliberate one!"

"Prove it!"

"I don't need to! Now shut up before I decide to make you look like a stick figure."

"You weren't going to in the first place? I'm so surprised."

Steam poured out of Ino's ears. She remembered what Sakura had said the other day. _Okay, so I gotta keep my temper? Ch. Easy for you to say, Sakura. _

Ino started drawing in silence for a few minutes, when Shikamaru spoke up all of a sudden.

"You're taking long. You sure you aren't drawing Sasuke?"

"No, but I should be," she snarled through clenched teeth. She put down her pencil and waved her hand franatically in the air. "Sensei, sensei!"

"Yes?" Ayumi looked at her questioningly.

"Can I please have a different partner?"

"Why?" Ayumi raised an eyebrow.

_What do you mean, WHY?! _Ino was ready to burst. "Because he's...!" she tried to protest.

"I'm sorry, Yamanaka, but I'm afraid I can't do that." Ayumi shrugged. "Just bear with him for today, okay?"

Ino slumped in her desk. _NYERRR...WHY ME?! _

**xXxXxXx**

Ino didn't know how she could bear with the previous half hour, but she did it. When the bell rang, she sprung from her seat like a spring and rushed out the door. As she passed by, she noticed some girls giggling and pointing at her, whispering to their friends. Ino felt her face heat up when she heard Shikamaru's name. She stormed past the girls angrily.

_Kami-sama, just tell me what I've done to made you so mad as to pair me up with that jerk! _Ino sighed inwardly, a rainy thundercloud over her head.

For the entire break, she complained about what happened to Sakura, who listened sympathetically and shook her head and sighed. When break was over, Ino glumly waved goodbye to Sakura and went on her way to the Home Economics classroom.

Two girls in front of her were chatting happily and opened the sliding door to the Home Economics classroom. Ino started to enter, but one girl shut the door behind her. Ino placed her hand between the door and the side of the wall just in time to hold open the door, a vein popping at her temple.

"Oh, hey, thanks for holding open the door. Jerks."

Out of the blue, a hand hovered above hers and pushed open the door. Ino blinked, surprised, and looked up, smiling gratefully.

"Thank - " Ino stopped mid-sentence, her jaw crashing to the ground and her eyes in the form of slits. _ACK! _

"YOU!" she snarled, whirling and stomping into the classroom, making several heads turn.

"You're welcome...?" Shikamaru sweatdropped.

Ino stalked to the other side of the room and plopped into her seat angrily. She glanced to the side - only to find Shikamaru walking towards her direction.

"QUIT FOLLOWING ME!" she roared.

"Don't flatter yourself," he sweatdropped again. "I happen to be in this class, too."

Ino groaned. _Ugh. Stupd Shikamaru. On top of that, Sakura-chan had Home Economics last period, _she thought, a dark aura forming about her. _Well, at least there's a sub today. Maybe the sub will pair me up with someone else. Yay for little things. _

_RIIING. _

"Stand up!" the class president ordered. Everyone stood up.

"Bow!"

Everyone bowed.

"Sit down!"

Everyone sat down and immediately began talking.

"Attention, class!" the teacher called, slapping a ruler at the blackboard. "My name is Kamiya Harumi and I will be your substitute for today. Your teacher, Miyazono-san, has left me some instructions about what you will be doing today. After I take attendance, I will be explaining your project for today."

After Harumi took attendance, she got out a list from her desk and cleared her throat.

"Today, we will be learning how to sew buttons!" she announced.

This announcement was followed by groans from the boys. One look from Harumi shut them up. She then started explaining and demonstrating how to sew a button. She stressed the importance of being careful while using the needle. Ino, already knowing how to sew, tuned the teacher out, daydreaming about Sasuke.

"If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me," Harumi said, passing out three buttons and three small pieces of cloth to each student.

Ino sighed inwardly. Well, at least she wasn't paired up with Shikamaru. She peered at the needle and the button in her hands. This was going to be easy, she thought. She started to thread the needle, when all of a sudden, Shikamaru spoke up from behind her.

"This is so troublesome. How the heck do you thread this thing?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Figure it out. You're a _genius_, aren't you?" she said mockingly.

For once, Shikamaru didn't seem to have any comebacks. _SCORE ONE FOR THE LOVELY AND MAGNIFICENT YAMANAKA INO! _Ino cheered inwardly.

There was silence for about a few minutes when Shikamaru spoke again.

"What do you do when you're done?"

Ino's head snapped towards him. "H-huh?! You're done already?!" Sure enough, he _was. _Ino couldn't believe it.

"Yeah. I'm a _genius, _remember?" Shikamaru smirked.

_Ugh. Must resist temptation to stab him with the needle. _

"Can't you sew any faster, Ino? I thought you were better at this than me."

His mocking voice made Ino tighten her grip on the needle. She had always went at a slow and steady pace when sewing, for fear of accidently stabbing herself, but there was so much anger built up inside her that she started fiercely threading her third button into her last piece of cloth.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Shikamaru noticed the way she attacked the piece of cloth. "I was only - "

"_Ouch!_"

Ino instantly dropped the needle and cloth as she felt a sharp pain in her finger. She stared in horror at the trickle of blood that was starting to pour slowly out from the tiny wound. Quickly, she sucked on the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding, but hating the taste of the blood in her mouth.

"What's wrong?" Harumi was at her side. "Did you accidently stab yourself?"

"Yeah. I think it's a pretty bad wound, too, for a needle," Shikamaru spoke for her, who apparantly had rushed to her side as well. "Ino, stop sucking on the wound! It's not a good idea to mix in your saliva with the wound."

Ino glared at him.

"He's right. Put it under some water." Harumi looked at Shikamaru. "Get a Band-Aid, will you?"

Shikamaru didn't even mumble anything he usually would, to Ino's surprise. He just hurried off in search of a Band-Aid, while Harumi accompanied Ino and rinsed the wound at the sink.

"Ouch." Ino winced.

"It'll sting, but it's the best way to treat something like this," Harumi explained. After Ino dried her hand, Shikamaru came with a Band-Aid. He carefully and tenderly wrapped the bandage around the wound. Ino could feel his touch through the bandage, and it made her feel awkward. When he pressed on the back of the sticky part of the bandage, Ino looked at his face. If she weren't mistaken, he actually looked a bit concerned.

"Th-thanks," she stammered a weak apology when he was done. It felt awkward to thank him. She wasn't used to thanking any annoying people like him.

Shikamaru didn't say anything, but the look on his face told her he was equally awkward about her apology. Apparantly, he wasn't used to being thanked by her.

"Well, please get back to your sewing, Miss," Harumi said, "and do be more careful."

Ino was back to being annoyed again. The teacher made it sound as if it were _her _fault she stabbed herself! _Well, if Shikamaru hadn't provoked me, this wouldn't have happened in the first place! Grrr, why am **I**_ _always the one at fault here?! _

**xXxXxXx**

_5 minutes until the bell rings. I can't wait! _Ino sighed. She looked at her finger. It had stopped stinging a long time ago, but she had dramatically faked being in pain, just to relish in seeing Shikamaru look uncomfortable. Serves him right, she thought. He _should _feel guilty.

"Hey, Ino." Shikamaru looked at her curiously. "You're good at sewing, right? How could you stab yourself so easily?"

Ino flushed, embarrrassed. "Sh-shut up!" she mumbled angrily. "If you hadn't pissed me off, I wouldn't have stabbed myself."

"What did I do?" Shikamaru asked.

Ino turned away and got out a manga book and started to read it. Shikamaru sweatdropped.

"You're ignoring me."

_No, duh. _

"I know you already finished that manga," Shikamaru accused.

"So? I'm reading it again."

Shikamaru sweatdropped. He could sense her getting angry again.

"Look, Ino - "

_RIIIIING._

The moment the bell rung, Ino jumped up and rushed out. She knew Shikamaru was trying to catch up with her as she poured out with her classmates.

_Ugh. What does HE want? _Ino rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Ino!"

She pretended not to hear him, hurrying on her way. _Psh. For a genius, he sure doesn't take the hint. _

"Ino!" Shikamaru had finally caught up with her. "I don't see any hearing aid, so I _know _you hear me."

Ino fumed. "Go away!" she snapped.

"_Ino._" Shikamaru took in a deep breath, annoyed. "Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to go overboard before."

"Yeah, well, you _did_, so -" Ino stopped in her tracks. "Wait a minute - you're_ apologizing_?" Ino couldn't believe her ears.

"Yeah. What about it?" Shikamaru acted as if he had apologized many times before.

"That's a first," Ino said sarcastically.

"What's your problem?" Shikamaru was starting to get _really _annoyed. "I apologized, didn't I? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

"Because it _is _one. I didn't even know 'sorry' was in that _huge _vocabulary of yours."

Shikamaru gazed angrily at her for a long time before he turned his back on her and walked off. _What's his problem? _Ino thought, annoyed as she went into the girls' bathroom. Remembering his previous insults, she started rinsing her hands furiously. She caught a look of herself in the mirror - and almost gasped at the angry scowl on her face. _Boy, when did I turn into that ugly thing? Shikamaru hadn't really said anything to piss me off. It was just _me _who overreacted. Maybe Sakura's right. My temper's getting the best of me. _

Ino felt guilt settling in her stomach. She didn't really mean to be so...well, _mean. _But it was hard to act nice towards him. Ever since...

Ino shook her head and sighed, tossing the used paper towel in the trash can. _Gah. Stupid conscience. I feel like I have to apologize to that jerk. _Ino made a face and shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

_Oh, crud! I have to meet with Sakura and the others under that tree in the courtyard! _Ino suddenly remembered. She rushed off, thoughts of Shikamaru dispersing from her mind.

**xXxXxXx**

"Ino had Home Economics, right?" Tenten frowned.

"Yup." Sakura placed a finger on her cheek thoughtfully. "I wonder if _something _happened. I wouldn't be surprised."

Tenten and Hinata blinked, surprised.

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Welll..." Sakura began to explain what happened the day before. By now, Tenten had a _HUGE _grin on her face, while Hinata was staring at the ground and blushing furiously.

"Ooooh la la." Tenten wiggled her eyebrow suggestively.

Sakura giggled. "Don't mention anything suggestive when she's around. You have _no _idea what she's capable of."

"Still..." Tenten laughed. "I always thought Shikamaru and Ino were a cute couple. They always argue so much."

"Couples arguing is your idea of _cute?_" Sakura frowned. "_My _definition of cute is," Sakura held her face with her hands and sighed dreamily, fantasies of her future times with Sasuke flowing through her mind, "having a grand romance with a great boyfriend and getting proposed to under the stars and having a huge wedding in the most romantic place ever..."

Sakura went rambling on while Tenten sweatdropped.

"I think I get it." Tenten waved her hands defensively. "Anyway," she regained her composure, "I still think Shikamaru and Ino are cute together. Sakura-chan, whaddya say we do a little matchmaking?"

"Ooooh! Sounds interesting!" Sakura beamed.

Tenten grinned at Hinata.

"What about you, Hinata-chan? You want to help us get them together?''

"U-um..." Hinata fiddled with her fingers nervously, blushing harder at the suggestive tone in her voice. . "I d-don't think it's a good idea t-to -"

"I guess that's a no, then, right?" Tenten and Sakura asked in unison, clearly disappointed but unsurprised.

Hinata sweatdroppped.

"Hey, guys!" Ino came bounding up to them. "Sorry, I was late - I had trouble - Shikamaru was being - "

She stopped, raising her eyebrow as Tenten and Sakura giggled. "Did I miss something?" she demanded, irked.

Tenten and Sakura looked at each other, grinning even wider.

"Shikamaru and Ino, sitting in a tree..." they started to sing. Ino's jaw crashed to the ground.

"OH, NO, YOU DON'T!" she roared, chasing after the two, who were singing at the top of their lungs.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G! FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MARRIAGE, THEN COMES A BABY IN A BABY CARRIAGE!"

"I absolutely will not _ever _kiss, love, marry, or have kids with _that _jerk! GET BACK HERE _NOW!_"

Hinata smiled and shook her head at her friends' childish behavior. She sighed and turned away.

Sometimes, she felt out of place. Her friends were always so social and outgoing, but she was so quiet and sophiscated that it made her feel lame. She wondered if anyone felt the same way she did.

"Did I make you wait long?" Sasuke came up from behind.

"Oh...! N-not at all." Hinata smiled.

"Ready to leave?"

"Yeah."

**xXxXxXx**

"Are you going to join a club?"

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted. "What about you?"

"I don't know, either," Hinata said truthfully.

"A car's coming."

Hinata stopped immediately at his warning and heard a car pass by.

"If I join a club, though, will you join it with me?" she asked suddenly, unexpectedly. Realizing what she said so bluntly, she added quickly, "W-well, my friends are joining different things, and I don't want to be alone..."

She mentally scolded herself for sounding so lame.

"...Maybe."

Maybe? Hinata was shocked. She had thought he would say no - after all, Sasuke didn't seem like the type to be involved in clubs. Even though clubs weren't required of students, they were recommended because it was easier to get into the university you wanted if you were involved clubs. Yeah, that was probably why Sasuke intended to join a club, Hinata thought.

Suddenly, several footsteps came to an abrupt stop behind them. They both whirled.

"Hey-ey, Uchiha!" a male student - Zaku, Hinata realized instantly - greeted coolly, punching Sasuke lightly and playfully on the arm. Sasuke shot him a dark look at the gesture, but he did not notice. "You don't know how _weird _it is to see you with a _girl!_"

His friends laughed in agreement, snickering behind their hands. Hinata looked down at the ground and hid her face with her blue locks, feeling her face burn up hotly.

"I wonder how much _weirder _it is to see me with a _mob _of my fangirls, then," Sasuke responded sarcastically.

"No, I didn't mean it like that! I mean, you know - " the boy jerked his head towards Hinata. "Why are you hanging around with a _rock _like her instead of a _gem _like...I don't know, Sakura-chan?"

Hinata could feel her heart sinking all the way down to the pit of her stomach. _A r-rock...? I'm like...a _rock? She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. _Am...am I really that worthless? _

"Yeah! Sakura-chan is heads over heels for you, too, so why don't you date her?"

"What about Ayaka-san? I think she's pretty hot!"

"I think Ino-chan is pretty cute, too!"

"I myself prefer Sae-chan!"

"What about that Chinese girl with the really tight buns? Get it? _Buns?_" a spiky-haired guy laughed and jabbed his friends. They simply sweatdropped.

"Well, anyway, I gotta say - you can do _so _much better than her!" the leader continued smugly. The hollow, mocking laughter that followed felt like a sharp blow to Hinata's stomach. _Are they saying...that I'm not worthy enough for Uchiha-san? That I'm not worthy enough for _anyone? _That...that I'm not worth anything at all whatsoever? _

Hinata couldn't take it anymore. She turned and ran. She thought she heard the boys' laughter grow even louder at this, yet she also thought she heard Sasuke call her. She couldn't be sure, yet it didn't matter.

She didn't know where she was going, but it didn't matter - anywhere but where the boys were was good enough for her. The hiss of the wind rang in her ears as she stumbled on and on, a single phrase echoing in her mind continuously.

_I'm worthless. _

**xXxXxXx**

"Hah hah! Did you see the look on her face?! That was so rich! Rich, man!" Zaku snickered, wiping tears from his eyes. "W-wait, actually, I can just _imagine _the look on her face - 'cause, y'know, you can't really see that face of hers - those freaky bangs are always covering it up. Maybe it's a good thing, though, because _I _sure won't want to see what's behind those bangs!"

His friends started to laugh even harder, but they all gasped in unison as Sasuke's fist shot out and punched Zaku right in the face, sending him flying to the ground. Zaku groaned at the hard impact, but gasped frightfully as Sasuke grabbed his collar and lifted him from the ground. Sasuke pulled Zaku's collar so hard that Zaku began to choke as he stared in petrified shock into Sasuke's merciless face.

"If I ever see you messing with her again..." Each word was spoken slowly and dangerously, as if Sasuke were straining to keep himself under complete control. Or maybe he was just trying to scare him. Heck, if that was it, he was doing a _pretty _good job. Zaku looked like the color of a fish's underside and shook as if he were wearing nothing but rags in the North Pole. "Actually, scratch that - if I ever see you at all, period..._**I'll break your arms.** _Understand?"

"Y-yeah - " Zaku managed to choke out, gulping. Sasuke flung him a good distance away.

"Do you want a demonstration? Get out of my sight before I change my mind and decide to break your arms _here and now_."

Zaku's groupies quickly helped him up, and after one last fearful glance back at him, scrambled away as quickly as their legs could carry them. Sasuke then turned and stared after the direction where Hinata had run off.

**xXxXxXx**

A/N. WHOO-HOO, GO SASUKE FOR SHOWING ZAKU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE MESSES WITH HINATA-CHAN! _-pumps fist in the air and grins- _

You know, now that I think about it...it's kinda strange that Zaku and his croonies would encourage Sasuke to date their "ideal girls." Well, you can just think of it as "an attempt to make Hinata feel bad about herself." :( Poor Hinata-chan, but Sasuke will make it _all _better, won't he? (;

Anyway, now we've gotten a closer look at the secondaries' personalities - well, mainly, Tenten and Ino, and maybe a little bit of Sakura. Tenten is a dark yet cheerful character; Ino is friendly and somewhat vain and hot-tempered; Sakura is an outgoing character who doesn't have much confidence in herself, even though she's popular.

So far, I've only revealed Tenten's past(which was inspired by the prequel to Fushigi Yugi.) Well, I guess you'd already know Sakura's past - it'll be the same as her past from the anime, but just in case there're those who don't actually watch the show or read the manga, I'll put that in later. And as for Ino...well, you may have noticed that she dislikes Shikamaru because of some unknown reason. That reason will be revealed some time later. :P

Everyone is going to have a dark past (or at least a past that has some painful events in it) because it makes it more realistic, I guess. We all have our shares of pain, right? (:

Oh, that reminds me! o-o A certain reviewer asked me why Sasuke was such an anti-social ice cube even though (in this modern AU) his brother didn't kill his family. She also asked why so many girls liked Sasuke even though he's so cold. Weeell...now that I think about it, she has a point. So therefore, I'm going to have to make up some HUGE reason as to why Sasuke is like this. (Sigh...) More work...XD

And as for the girls liking him...well, just think of it that there's a whole _bunch _of girls from the school that like him, but not the entire female population. I mean, obviously Tenten likes Neji and there'd be other girls who have crushes on other guys. :P

The reviewer also asked why Naruto wasn't popular. She said that in the series he wasn't popular because he had the Kyuubi, but in a modern AU, you'd think that he'd be popular because people like social and outgoing people. I'm not sure I actually stated that Naruto was unpopular in this fic...well, I guess I'll have to find a way to fix that, too. :P

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! (:


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the movies **Trust and Betrayal **or **Reflection. **

A/N. It took FOREVER to finish this chapter. X.x But I'm rather proud of it. XD I think this is one of my best chapters so far. o-o Lol. XDD

Anyway, to a certain reviewer, I'm sorry Hinata-chan couldn't sing in this chapter. I promise sometime later that she will, so don't worry. :D Anyway, it's summer vacation now, so I _think _I will be able to update more quickly. But don't get your hopes up - my brother tends to hog the computer 24/7 so it's hard for me to get these chapters up quickly. x.x;;;

Please give me your opinions - what you like, what you want to happen later, suggestions, whatever! (: Thanks again for the continuous support! o:

Japanese words in this chapter

Yakitori - grilled chicken on speared sticks

Teriyaki - a type of meat that can be eaten with some type of sauce

Onee-chan - sister

**xXxXxXx**

She bolted across the street, trying to force back the tears -

_SCREEECH! _

"Hey, watch it, girl!" a man screamed at her through his window.

She couldn't apologize - her voice seemed to have been ripped from her throat. So she simply cast a sorrowful, apologetic look in his direction before continuing on her way, slowing down.

_Why...why am I running away? I'm so pathetic. Uchiha-san's right. Why do I just let them say what they want about me? Why don't I do anything? I'm so weak...so pathetic. _

She could feel something warm slide down her cheeks. She touched the wet spot on her cheek, her eyes wide, as if just noticing that she was crying. _And...and all I can do is cry._

The dam inside her broke as she realized this fact - and she cried harder.

_Sakura-chan had been teased a lot back then...but she got stronger and more confident. Soon enough, everyone started to respect her and no one ever made fun of her again. But...I haven't changed at all. I'm still the weak, fragile girl I've always been. It's...it's no wonder Naruto-kun likes Sakura-chan - why _everyone _thinks more highly of her than me. _

She slid down to the ground, feeling more defeated and humiliated than she ever had been in her life. The distant call of thunder rumbled in the distance. She heard people whispering about her -

_"Oh, no!" _

_"It's going to rain!" _

_"The weather forecast was right!" _

_"We should get going!" _

The sounds of footsteps echoed in Hinata's ears as people ran by, not noticing her. Occasionally, some people would flash her a curious glance before hurrying on their way. But all Hinata could see was the hazy blur of the colorless ground.

Thunder rumbled again. Light rain began to fall, sprinkling delicately against Hinata's skin, clothes, and hair. _I wonder...if I stayed out here, would Father or Hanabi notice and worry when I didn't come home? _

The light rain quickly turned into a slightly heavy shower. Hinata took no notice of her soaked clothes. _Would _anyone _notice? Would anyone _care?

_SPLASH. _

The sound of swift feet dashing gracefully through puddles rang in Hinata's ears. The footsteps stopped in front of her.

"How could you have gotten so far without seeing clearly?" a low, slightly exhausted voice demanded slowly.

She jerked her head up slightly, her eyes wide. "U-Uchiha-san..." Hinata was stunned. "You...you came to look for me?"

"It took me longer than it should have to find you," he said carelessly, not answering the question. "Come on - let's leave. It's not healthy to mope and feel sorry for yourself in the rain."

Hinata hung her head low. "I'm sorry," she whispered quietly, fresh tears brimming in her eyes in her eyes. 'I'm not very good with people..."

"I can tell." Yet, his voice wasn't mocking or exasperated. "C'mon, let's go or you'll catch a cold."

There was a long silence with Hinata sobbing quietly and Sasuke gazing down silently at her. What Hinata wanted more than anything was to just disappear from this world. She didn't deserve to be in this world. She wasn't worth living in this beautiful place. She wanted to...

_...die? _a voice told her softly.

She swallowed. Death. That simple yet frightening word had crossed her mind several times. _What would it be like to die? _she would wonder. She sometimes even imagined greeting Death, but her heart would pound heavily inside her chest at the fear of dying. Going through with it was a lot harder than imagining it.

She swallowed again. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want to go on living, either. Life was just so painful and torturous for her. Every day brought more and more tears, pain, regrets, and hopes. She couldn't take it anymore.

A long, quiet sigh escaped Sasuke's pale lips as he ran his hand through his hair, seemingly irked.

"You should stop that," he said sternly. She blinked, startled by the vehemence in his voice. "Why listen to the words of that idiot and his stupid friends? Why take those words to heart and punish yourself for them? Stop beating yourself up just because some idiot said you're lame or whatever. I told you, you're fine the way you are!"

The storm within Hinata's heart slowly subsided, and tears trickled from her wide eyes. _He...he insists that I'm fine the way I am. He's the second person to ever tell me that I'm fine the way I am. Mother..._

A flashback of her mother smiling and kissing her forehead shimmered in her mind.

_**"Hinata-chan, you're perfect the way you are. I'm so fortunate to have a wonderful daughter like you." **_

_She had told me so before, but I hadn't taken them to heart because I believed that all mothers thought their children were perfect. Her words seemed like an illusion - an illusion that would protect me from the cruel words that others told me so bluntly. No one else, not even Neji, Ino, Tenten, or Sakura had told me I was perfect the way I am. Because of that, I trusted Mother's words even less..._

_But _he_, a well-liked and great boy of high status, is telling _me, _a mere girl that others tend to overlook...He's telling me I'm fine the way I am. Why...? Why? _

Fresh tears streamed down her tear-streaked face. _Sasuke...what good have I done for you to show such kindness to me? All my life, I just thought you were some cold-hearted and dreadful person without even looking hard enough at you. And yet...you're still so kind to me. Why...?_

Hinata clenched her fists, trying to bite back her sobs. _I don't deserve your kindness, Sasuke. _

"Ready to go now?" Sasuke's voice was soft and gentle. A small, pale blur appeared before Hinata - and her eyes widened. He was offering his hand, she realized. His compassion caused her to cry even harder, but she nodded weakly and grasped his hand.

_Thank you, Sasuke. _

**xXxXxXx**

**-----+ Monday Afternoon+-----**

When Hinata placed her glasses over her eyes, it was like waking up from a deep sleep. Everything was so clear and beautiful. She let out a huge sigh of relief.

"I'm so glad my glasses are back! I can see now!" she exclaimed happily. She turned to Sasuke, who was watching her silently, and bowed formally. "Uchiha-san, thank you so much for your help!"

Sasuke looked slightly uncomfortable at her formality. "It's no big deal," he said carelessly, looking away. "So now, I guess you're free, Hyuuga. You're not bound to me any longer." Sasuke turned back to give her a small smirk.

Hinata flushed, wondering if her attitude towards him before had offended him. "I - I didn't -" she started timidly.

"Don't worry," Sasuke held up a hand to silence her, "I know the truth. You don't have to hide it."

_The truth? _Hinata smiled. _He doesn't even know half of it. _

_The truth is...if breaking my glasses again would let be with him, I would gladly do it. But I'd hate to be a burden to everyone again, especially him. I wonder...would he let me be with him now that my glasses are back? _

_It wouldn't hurt to try. _

**xXxXxXx**

**+------- Early May (Lunch)-------+**

"Wowwww...!" Tenten sighed, relishing in the gentle touch of the wind as it brushed against her face. "It's such nice weather today, huh?"

Hinata nodded, but Sakura and Ino looked very irked.

"Not particularly," Sakura said.

"Yeah. I can't stand wind. It's so cold - " Ino chimed in.

" - and it messes up my hair!" Sakura finished. Ino nodded in agreement. "Sunny days are so much better."

"I don't like the sun," Tenten grumbled. "Hot days make me feel grumpy."

"As if you aren't already grumpy all the time," Sakura teased, to which Tenten stuck out her tongue at her.

"By the way, club meetings are this week, right?" Ino asked.

"Yup. Softball will be so much fun, won't it, Ino-chan?" Sakura smiled.

"_Softball?_" Ino looked at her like she was nuts. Tenten coughed. "Oh, yeah...yeah, it'll be _so _much fun."

"Yup, especially since Sasuke-kun's joining softball!" Sakura sighed happily.

"He is?" Hinata was surprised. She had seen Sasuke sign up for the same club she was joining herself. Did he drop out of the club and join softball instead?

"Of _course _he is, Hinata!" Sakura said.

Tenten coughed again, and Ino giggled. Hinata was beyond confused, but she knew she wasn't supposed to say anything.

"Oh, hey, by the way," Tenten spoke up suddenly, "did you see the premiere of Trust and Betrayal yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah! It didn't look _that _good, though. I'd rather watch Reflection! It's about Kaoru and Kenshin!" Sakura said. "I like that couple better than Kenshin and that other lady."

"Hey, me, too!" Ino added.

Tenten looked offended. "I don't like Kaoru," Tenten sighed. "And it's not "the other lady,'' it's _Tomoe. _Tomoe and Kenshin make a better couple than Kaoru and Kenshin anytime!"

"Is not!" Sakura protested.

"Is too and that's final!" Tenten stuck out her tongue at her. "Hey, why don't we all go to the movies sometime?" she suggested, trying to steer the conversation away from being an argument about which couple was better. "My uncle can get discounts at work!"

"Sweet!" Sakura and Ino exclaimed in unison.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, do you want to go? It'd be really awesome!" Tenten looked at Hinata, but she flushed and gazed down at her hands.

"I'm not sure...'' she said hesitantly. "My father doesn't approve of me going out very much." Actually, she wasn't sure because she believed that her father wouldn't notice if she was gone, but she knew that if he found out that she was going out with her friends, he'd be disappointed with her.

"What does he expect you to do, stay cooped up indoors and study all the time?" Tenten sighed.

"I suppose so."

"Well, you could...uh...tell him that you're going out with your friends for some project for school!" Ino suggested, who didn't know how to handle this situation because her parents always let her do whatever she wanted.

"You mean..._lie?_"

"Yeah! It's just a white lie, anyway!" Sakura chimed in.

"Uh..." Hinata swallowed. She hated lying. Lying made her feel like a criminal, even if it was a white lie.

"If you want," Tenten said eagerly, "I can beg your father to let you go!"

"E-eh?! N-no...that won't be necessary!" Hinata blanched. She didn't know what her father would say if her friend begged him to let her go, and she didn't want to find out.

_RIIIING!_

"Well, we'll work this out," Tenten sighed. "See you guys later."

"Okay, later."

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- After School ----+**_

"Today's the softball club meeting, so I have to go," Sakura informed her friends. Ino was nowhere to be seen, but she guessed that she had already gone to the meeting.

"Okay." Tenten had a weird smile on her face. "Later."

"I hope you have fun," Hinata smiled.

"Oh, I will!" Sakura promised, beaming at the thought of joining the same club as Sasuke. She waved goodbye to her friends and skipped off happily, humming under her breath.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- The softball club meeting ----+**_

"Eh? Where's Sasuke-kun?" Sakura glanced around. "And Ino-chan?"

There was no sign of her friend or crush.

"Heyyy, Sakura-chan! What a surprise to see you here!"

"H-huh?" Sakura turned. "Naruto?! Oh, have you seen Sasuke-kun or Ino-chan?"

"Uh, I think Sasuke went home and Ino went to her ikebana club meeting..."

"WHAT?!"

He blinked, scared at the murderous expression on her face. ''What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Naruto was bewildered.

Sakura was stunned. Impossible...why would the two ditch the club that they were going to join? Unless...

The smirking faces of Tenten and Ino flickered through her mind. Sakura clenched her fists.

"They set this up, didn't they?!" Sakura wailed angrily.

"Wh-what?!"

Sakura didn't have time to explain because the meeting was called to order.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Softball Club! I hope you have a wonderful time being in this fantastic club for the whole year!"

The. Whole. Year. With no Ino. With no SASUKE. Oh, no, but with NARUTO of all people.

**"I'll show those two jerks a thing or two!" Inner Sakura punched the air angrily. "MY FISTS! I'll get you for this, Ino-pig, Bun Bun-chan!" **

**xXxXxXx**

"So, what do you think, Hanabi?" Hinata was tearing lettuce for tonight's dinner.

Hanabi looked thoughtful. "Well..." she said hesitantly. "I think Father will probably say no, but it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"I think...he'd be upset with me for even thinking about such a thing. That's why I don't think asking is an option." Hinata sighed sadly.

"You could just go out with your friends without telling. I don't think Father would notice."

"That's just it, Hanabi-chan," Hinata sighed again, feeling more sorrow than frustration. "He wouldn't notice if I was gone. Even if he did...it wouldn't matter to him."

Tears brimmed in Hinata's eyes, and she wiped her eyes hurriedly, pretending that something had gotten in her eye.

"Oh, Hinata, don't say that!" Hanabi was looking at her sympathetically and sadly. "Father really does care about you, I know it! He just has a hard time showing it."

"Maybe." Hinata wasn't convinced. "I...I really love Father, and I want to prove to him that I'm a good daughter, but my efforts are useless." Hinata wiped her eyes again. "I just have to get over the fact that I did not turn out the way he wanted me to be."

"Onee-chan..." Hanabi wanted to say something comforting, but the words wouldn't come.

"Is dinner almost ready?"

They were both startled, but Hanabi was the only one to turn.

"Yes, Father. It'll be ready in a minute," she promised. Hinata didn't say anything, and she pretended to be totally absorbed in tearing the lettuce.

"That's good." Hiashi didn't even look at Hinata. He simply turned and left.

**xXxXxXx**

Today's dinner was rice, sushi, vegetables, and thin strips of meat. There was a quiet and almost tense silence in the air as the Hyuuga family ate their dinner without a word.

"I ate very well," Hiashi said quietly after he finished his meal. "Thank you for the meal."

Both Hinata and her sister had cooked the meal, so Hinata thought he was thanking both of them. But she noticed that he was looking at Hanabi, who bowed her head respectfully. Her heart aching, Hinata ducked her head and ate her rice more quickly. She knew that she shouldn't have had high hopes...

_Why...why is it that you can never look at me that way, Father? Am...am I not a good daughter? _

"I'll...help you clean up, Hanabi," she said as soon as she was finished eating.

"Okay."

**xXxXxXx**

Hiashi liked to drink green tea after dinner, but Hinata noticed that today he didn't drink any green tea. She quickly whipped up some tea, and carefully balancing it on a tray, she walked slowly upstairs and to Hiashi's bedroom. The door was open a crack, and Hinata peeked through the crack to see if he was busy with something. If she disturbed him while he was busy, he'd be angry at her, and she didn't want that.

She saw that he was sitting at a desk, his back to her. His head seemed to be tilting down, so maybe he was looking at something?

"...Hazuki..." she heard him say wistfully.

_Hazuki? _Hinata's eyes widened. _Hazuki...is Mother's name. _

Hinata's eyes softened. She knew how much her father loved her mother. From what she could remember, Hiashi was a much more open, happy man when Hazuki was alive. After she died, he withdrew and became cold and distant, even to those other than Hinata (although not as much.)

She told herself not to be too upset with her father. Hiashi always had trouble with his emotions, Hazuki told her. Yet, Hinata remembered that Hiashi cared a lot more about her when she was younger. Now, it was like she wasn't even there anymore.

"Hazuki," her name escaped from his lips and rang in the air, a sad and lonely echo.

She silently walked away, sadness settling in her heart. _Father, I understand. I miss her, too. _

**xXxXxXx**

**+----**_**The Next Day (After School**_**) ----+ **

"So did you ask?" Tenten was practically dancing with impatience.

Hinata blinked, surprised at her enthusiasm. "Umm...no," she admitted.

Tenten groaned. "_Hinaataa-chan_," she sighed, stressing her friend's name.

"Sorry." Hinata blushed.

"Ino and Sakura can go, but I'm not sure about Miharu. She's my cousin," Tenten said quickly, seeing the confused look on Hinata's face. "Anyway, it'd be really nice if you can go!"

This was a surprise. Someone actually wanted her to hang out with them? Sometimes, she felt like they only put up with her because they felt sorry for her.

"If you go, you should watch Trust and Betrayal," Tenten insisted.

"Why?"

"Don't go watching any Kaoru and Kenshin fluffy stuff. It's lame." Tenten sniffed. Hinata had no idea what she was talking about, but she just nodded. "Saturday's when we're going, so you have to ask your dad by today! Or...just like Ino said, you can just tell him it's for a project. But that I noticed that you don't like lying...Oh, gosh, this is complicated." Tenten sighed and ran her hand through her dark bangs.

"Don't worry, Tenten! It'll turn out okay."

Tenten didn't seem to hear because she seemed very interested in the sweet scent that was coming from the small store nearby. It seemed to be a shop full of cakes, chocolates, and pastries.

"Hey, I'm getting hungry! Let's get a bite to eat!" Tenten grinned.

"I'll wait for you, then."

"Eh? Aren't you going to get anything?"

"No. I don't have any money."

"I'll treat you then."

"Wha...?!? N-no...it's okay - "

"Hinata-chan, I'm treating you to something, and that's final."

**xXxXxXx**

"The line is sooo long," Tenten complained. She noticed that the line was mostly full of girls, and girls usually took long to do certain things.

"This shop is small, but it's really popular," Hinata informed softly. "The cakes and chocolate they make here are delicious."

"Isn't he cute?" a girl with pigtails giggled to her friend as they walked past Tenten and Hinata and took a table. "I swear he likes me! He looked at me, can you believe it??" Tenten sighed inwardly. So _that _was it. There was a cute guy at the counter. Go figure.

"He's cute," her friend agreed, "but I like the waiter with the dark eyes! Such gorgeous hair and flawless skin...It's too bad he only works here on Fridays and Sundays. I think he goes to my cousin's school! She should introduce me to him sometime."

The front of the line finally cleared, and Tenten sighed. _Finally! _She had been staring at the painting on the wall to pass the time.

"What would you like to order?" a familiar and smooth voice awakened her.

_I-it can't be..._Tenten's eyes widened. She pinched herself on the arm to make sure it wasn't a dream. Ouch, that hurt, she thought, grimacing. It wasn't fake, after all!

Hyuuga Neji was right in front of her!

"N-Neji-kun??" she managed to burst out.

"Oh...Tenten." Neji didn't look the least surprised. "How nice to see you." Neji saw that Hinata was behind the Chinese girl. "Oh, Hinata-sama, you're here, too?"

"Yeah, Tenten was hungry and wanted to get something to eat," Hinata smiled.

_She isn't surprised? _Tenten thought, bewildered.

"Y-you work here, Neji??" Tenten gawked.

"Yes. I've been working here for almost a year." Neji looked at her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What is it? Do you feel that I am not fit for this kind of job?"

"N-no!" Tenten was beyond embarrassed.

"This is a good place to work," Neji commented. "Why don't you work here, too, Tenten?"

"M-me?!" Tenten's voice came out in a squeak. _Neji-kun's asking me to work here with him! This is a dream come true! I can die happy! _

"Yeah. My manager recently fired a few people because they were slacking off, so he's looking for new workers. If you're interested, you should go apply for the job."

"I-I'll think about it!" Tenten smiled shyly. She knew that she wasn't going to think about it - heck, who'd need to _think _in this kind of situation, but she didn't want to seem _too _eager. "I-I mean, uh," she coughed, trying to sound casual, "yeah, I'll think about it!"

"Hey, hurry up already!" a young man behind Hinata grumbled irritatedly. "Quit flirting and get a move on already!"

There was mild laughter. Tenten felt herself turn red. "S-sorry!" she mumbled. The truth was, she really wasn't sorry. _What a jerk. _

She ordered the tea and cake set for herself and cinnamon rolls for Hinata. Neji gave her the receipt, which had all the information that she needed to know, including the number that would be called when her order was ready.

"Thanks, Neji-kun." Tenten smiled.

"No problem."

Tenten stepped out of the line and heard the man behind Hinata mutter something that made her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach.

"Stupid chi--..."

That five letter word that described Chinese as being lower than dirt.

Tenten felt as if he had just delivered a blow to her face, and then to her stomach. What was wrong with being Chinese?? Tenten thought, both furious and hurt. She wanted to leave at the moment, even though she hadn't gotten her order yet, but she didn't want to seem like a coward.

"Tenten?" Hinata said worriedly. She knew that cruel remarks like those greatly offended her friend. She wanted to say something to the man, but she felt too scared. She didn't like to confront people. She put her hand on her friend's shoulder, but Tenten just jerked away and shook her head dejectedly at her, indicating that she wanted to be alone.

"I'll have the Cafe Au Lait," the man grunted to Neji. Neji stared at him coldly. "What's the problem? Didn't you hear me the first time?" the man said rudely.

"Oh, I heard you. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"What??" the man exclaimed angrily. Some people turned to look, including Hinata and Tenten. "Listen here, punk, you have no right - " the man went on furiously.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Neji jerked his head in the direction of the sign on the counter that read:

**We have the right to refuse service to any customers. **

The man's face grew red and clenched his fists so tightly that everyone heard a faint _crack. _

"What for? I haven't done anything!" the man snapped.

"If I recall, you just said something incredibly rude to a customer - no, a _friend _of a mine." Neji stared at him hard. "That's enough reason for me to refuse service to you."

Tenten's eyes widened and the knot in her stomach loosened. _Neji-kun..._

The man glared at Neji so fiercely that everyone cringed, waiting for him to mar Neji's smooth, flawless face with his large fist. Finally, he whirled around and stalked out of the shop. Everyone watched him go, and the shop was deadly silent. After a few seconds, the silence was broken and everything was back to normal.

Tenten clutched her receipt tightly, feeling her eyes moisten. She couldn't believe that Neji stuck up for her. To think that he cared enough to stick up for her in front of everyone like that, without being afraid of being beaten to a pulp...she couldn't help feeling happy and proud.

"Number 93!"

Tenten quickly awakened from her trance and took her order. She smiled at Neji.

"Thanks...I mean, thanks for...what you did." Tenten flushed, feeling her heart flutter.

"Anytime." Neji smiled back.

**xXxXxXx**

"Hinata-chan, your cousin is amazing," Tenten told her dreamily after they had left the shop. _That's why I love him so much. Neji-kun's so wonderful..._

Hinata smiled. The happy Tenten was much better to see. "I know, Tenten. I know."

**xXxXxXx**

Tenten was in high spirits as she walked into her apartment.

"Mom, I'm home!" Tenten called out. Chao shuffled out of the kitchen, smiling brightly.

"Ah, there you are - I was getting worried! Come, I want you to meet someone!"

"Who is it?" Tenten followed her mother into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw a dark-haired man with blue eyes at the kitchen table, drinking tea. She was shocked at first, then annoyed. First of all, why was a _man _over here at their apartment? And why was he seated at the table like some sort of guest?? "Mom, who's this?" she asked rather bluntly.

The man looked up from his mug of tea.

"You must be Tenten-chan," he smiled warmly. "Chao's told me all about you."

Tenten felt a little irked that he was calling her mother by her first name, and without a suffix, too! In the Japanese culture, only close friends or family members had the right to drop the suffix off someone's name!

"Mom, who's this?" Tenten repeated, ignoring the fact that she was being rude.

"His name is Kiroshima Ryou," Chao beamed, "and he's a co-worker of mine! He's staying over for dinner! Isn't that wonderful, sweetie?"

_Wonderful??! Is she kidding me? _

"Yeah. Great," Tenten said flatly. "Listen, I'll go to my room and do my homework, okay?"

"But you usually eat a snack before you do your homework - "

"Not hungry," Tenten mumbled as she headed to her room. Chao and Ryou glanced at each other uncomfortably.

**xXxXxXx**

_What's Mom thinking, bringing a guy over here?? _Tenten thought angrily, slamming her math textbook shut. She let out a long breath. _Okay, calm down, Tenten. He's probably just some guy new to town and Mom feels sorry for him...yeah, that must be it. I mean, why ELSE would she bring him over? _

Tenten was slightly reassured, but her mind still wasn't completely at ease.

She couldn't concentrate on her homework, so she threw aside her textbook in disgust and flopped onto her bed. She wanted to forget the whole thing, so she tried to think about Neji. Pretty soon, her anger was replaced with happiness at the thought of her crush. She daydreamed about him for a long time when all of a sudden -

"-Tenten! Dinner's ready, honey!"

Tenten jumped slightly. Then it occurred to her that she hadn't helped her mom with dinner at all. She would always help her mom with dinner everyday, but today...well, she supposed today was an exception. She didn't want to hang around that Ryou guy.

"Tenten?!" her mom called again.

"Coming!" she yelled back, sighing as she trudged to the kitchen reluctantly.

**xXxXxxx**

" - so then my sister got angry at me because, you know, she treasured her hair quite a lot, and she had to cut it because she couldn't get the gum out - " Ryou was laughing.

"Ryou, shame on you!" Chao pretended to scold him, but she was giggling in a weird, high-pitched voice that made Tenten shudder inwardly. It sounded so...well, _unnatural. _

The whole time, Ryou and Chao had chattered about random things and Tenten was tuning them out, eating her meal silently. What was the point of calling her to the table if they weren't even going to acknowledge her? Tenten thought, exasperated.

"Oh, by the way, Tenten-chan," Ryou began.

_Wow, it took him THAT long to figure out I was here? _Tenten resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"You do get good grades, right?" he asked curiously, picking up a bit of chicken and placing it in his mouth.

Tenten shrugged. "Guess so," she said off-handedly.

Chao looked upset. "Tenten!" she scolded in a _don't-be-so-rude _tone.

"Nah, it's fine, Chao," Ryou smiled. "Anyway, Tenten, you look so much like your mother...so beautiful and youthful!"

"Ryou!" Chao's face reddened, but she smiled pleasantly.

_Ugh. Somebody gag me before I throw up. _Tenten was annoyed that he was kissing up to her mother, and mad at her mother for _letting _him kiss up to her!

"May I be excused?" Tenten said loudly, getting up from the table noisily. Chao looked at her in surprise.

"But, Tenten, you only ate a bowl of rice!" her mother protested. "You usually eat about three bowls for each meal, don't you? Are you feeling ill?"

_As a matter of fact, I _am. But what she said was, "No, it's just that I have to...uh, study. The exams are coming up, you know."

"The exams are at the _end _of May, right?" Ryou cut in curiously. "Wow, Tenten-chan, you sure are devoted to your schoolwork! That's good."

Tenten turned away and hid her scowl. Her mother gazed at Tenten's back with puzzlement. Knowing her daughter, she was a lazy procrastinator and studied at the last minute (and amazingly still got good grades.) But Ryou's compliment made her smile.

"Okay, Tenten," Chao said happily, "if you must study, then go study. But later I'll bring a snack to you, okay? You'll be able to think harder with more food in your stomach."

"Yeah, okay," Tenten mumbled, walking off to her room.

**xXxXxXx**

Tenten managed to finish her homework in about an hour, and still her mother had not come to bring her a snack. She was feeling a little hungry, but there was _no way _that she was going back there...

_How stupid. Mom's probably too busy talking to Ryou to remember to bring me something to eat_, Tenten thought angrily. She sighed and got out a manga book she had borrowed from a friend and started to read it.

" - Thanks for helping me clean up, Ryou-kun," her mother's voice rang out. "Oh, by the way, can you bring this to Tenten? She's probably hungry right now."

"Sure!" Ryou replied.

_Crud. _Tenten bit her lower lip. She didn't want to be confronted by himShe quickly turned off the lights and jumped into her bed, pretending to be asleep.

A few seconds later, she heard Ryou enter the room. He chuckled under his breath.

"Asleep already, eh?"

Ryou sighed and put down what seemed to be a tray on the table next to her. She knew it was still there because she could hear his soft breathing. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end.

"Sweet dreams," she heard him murmur. Then he shut the door behind him.

_Sweet dreams, my foot. _

"Thanks for the dinner, Chao! I'll be leaving now, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then, Ryou."

"Goodbye."

She heard the front door close. In her heart, she was happy that he had left.

**xXxXxxXx**

_**+---- The Next Day (Break) ---+**_

"We're really sorry, Sakura-chan," Ino grinned.

"Oh, _please_," Sakura rolled her eyes. "I can tell you're _so _sincere."

"You can always withdraw if you want," Ino suggested. Hinata didn't really know what was going on, but she guessed it was about the thing that Tenten and Ino were grinning about the other day.

"Yeah, but it'd make me look bad if I withdrew," Sakura mumbled. "And what really sucks is that I'm on same team as Naruto _and _that jerk named Wakamatsu Judai for a month."

"You're kidding! Judai?" Ino shook her head pitifully. Judai was a highly popular boy with dark brown hair and gray eyes. He wasn't exactly mean, but if you were on the same team as him, you had to get ready for a whole bunch of insults and cuss words that would come out of his mouth when you messed up.

Hinata bit her lip. She knew Judai really well, and it hurt badly when he yelled at you for screwing up. She felt sympathy for her pink-haired friend.

"Yeah..." Sakura sighed.

"Oh, that really sucks. I feel sorry for you!" Ino sighed pitifully.

"Oh, _now _you feel bad for me!" Sakura clenched her teeth.

"Hey, what's up with you, Tenten? You've been as quiet as a mouse!" Ino commented, trying to change the subject.

"...It's nothing." Tenten let out a long sigh and turned away.

"Aw, c'mon, we're friends, right? Tell us!" Ino urged.

"Maybe some other time." Tenten didn't want to bother her friends about her troubles.

"Aw, okay." Ino was disappointed. She knew not to bother her when she was in this mood.

"Oh, yeah, we're still going to go the movies on Saturday, right?" Sakura piped up.

"Yeah," Tenten smiled for the first time that day. Thinking about the movies made her forget about Ryou...a little, anyway.

"So, we're all going. How about you, Hinata?"

"Um, I don't know." Hinata flushed. "How long is the movie, by the way?"

"About two hours and half or so."

"Come on, Hinata-chan, you should go!" Sakura pleaded.

"Yeah, it'd be so much fun if you could go!" Ino added.

Hinata did some quick thinking. She _could _tell her father that she'd go to the library to study. He wouldn't suspect that she was going out...

Even though she hated lying, she thought that maybe just this once it would be okay. After all, there was nothing to do at home and she loved to be with her friends.

"Okay, I'll go," Hinata agreed.

"Awesome! This will be so much fun!"

**xXxXxXx**

"Sasuke-kun! Please accept these gifts that we made with love for you!" Sakura and Ino, their faces turning pink, shoved their boxes of cookies into his arms. He looked down at them with a bit of a grimace, but he glanced at the two girls and nodded his head politely.

He didn't like receiving gifts from his admirers, but he couldn't bring himself to reject them. He remembered back in elementary, he had rejected some girls' gifts and they all started crying so hard that a teacher came by to see what the problem was. The teacher had given him such a long and annoying lecture that he decided rejecting his fangirls' gifts wasn't worth hearing it again.

"Bye, Sasuke-kun!" they giggled, skipping down the hall. He sighed, thinking that now was a good time to dump them in the trash can nearby.

"Hey, Uchiha, more cookies?" Shikamaru came by, noticing the boxes of cookies.

"Unfortunately," Sasuke responded flatly. "You want them?"

Shikamaru looked like he was going to say no, but he thought for a while. "I'll give them to Chouji," he decided, shrugging.

"Fine." Sasuke gave him the boxes.

"It really is troublesome, isn't it?"

"Very."

"I feel your pain!" Shikamaru sighed. He, too, had his own fanclub. "They're so persistent, aren't they? Girls are so troublesome."

"Do you really think so?" Sasuke smirked a bit at Shikamaru.

"What do you mean by that?" Shikamaru arched his eyebrow.

"Oh, I don't know...It's just that rumors are going around that you and Yamanaka are dating.''

Shikamaru let out an exasperated sigh. "And you believe it?"

"...I don't know what to believe," Sasuke pretended to give a doubtful sigh. "It's just that...I have this...ah, _feeling _that you're still hung up on her."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" he mumbled irritatedly. "I _never _liked that troublesome girl."

"Mmm-hmm."

"I don't like her, okay?!" Shikamaru deadpanned.

"Relax, Nara, I was just joking." Shikamaru honestly couldn't tell if Sasuke was joking or not.

"Well, what about _you_? Rumors are going around that _you _have the hots for Hyuuga." It was kind of a lame thing to say, but Shikamaru wanted a comeback and that seemed like something good to say in this situation.

"Idiots these days will believe anything."

"That really is offensive, Uchiha." Shikamaru pretended to sound hurt.

"Oh, my bad," Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Well, I'll go give these to Chouji. So, I'll see you around, Uchiha."

"Later."

**xXxXxXx**

"Here, Chouji."

"Wow, they look delicious!" Chouji smiled happily, taking the boxes gratefully. "Thanks, Shikamaru!"

"No problem."

"Hm, Sakura-san and Ino made them, huh?" Chouji murmured, noticing the tags. "I'll bet they're good, then! Sasuke-san must be crazy to reject this!"

"Mm-hmm," Shikamaru mumbled, watching Chouji open Ino's box of cookies and pop one in his mouth.

''This is pretty good. Hey, you want some?''

"No, thanks. I'm not eating anything that troublesome girl made."

"Aw, come on, Shikamaru! It's your favorite flavor - mocha!"

Shikamaru twitched just a little.

"...I haven't had mocha in a while." Shikamaru reluctantly took a cookie from the box and bit into it. Chouji grinned. _Success._

"You can have more," Chouji said generously. Shikamaru took about ten cookies and stuffed them in his pocket.

_RING! RING! _

The bell rang to signal the end of lunch.

"Aw, it sucks that Miyazono-sensei doesn't let us eat in class," Chouji said sadly, putting the boxes away in his backpack. Shikamaru sighed and glanced around for any signs of their teacher before popping a cookie into his mouth.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING EATING THE COOKIES I MADE FOR SASUKE-KUN?!?!?"

Shikamaru nearly spat out his cookie and he looked up into the furious face of Yamanaka Ino.

_Crap, _he thought.

"How could you! Stealing cookies from Sasuke-kun! You're such a...such a..." Ino tried to search for a word to describe him. Everyone who was currently in the room was staring at the two, confused about the commotion that Ino was making.

"A cookie-stealing thief?" Chouji said helpfully.

Shikamaru shot him a dirty look. _Thanks a lot, Chouji. _

"Yeah, you're such a cookie-stealing thief!" Ino screeched.

"I didn't steal them," Shikamaru said defensively, feeling uncomfortable under the intense stares of his peers, who were whispering to each other furiously. "Uchiha gave them to me."

"Ha! As if he would ever give them to _you_, you cookie-stealing thief!" Ino snapped. Shikamaru was suddenly aware that everyone stopped talking and was staring at the front of the room. He glanced at the front of the room, too, and his stomach lurched.

"Ino - " he said.

"Stop lying, I know you stole them from him!"

"_Ino_," he said, a bit more loudly, gritting his teeth.

"Admit it, you were jealous that Sasuke-kun got cookies and you didn't!"

Ino glared triumphantly at Shikamaru, who remained silent. She was suddenly aware that someone in the front of the room was clearing her throat.

"Are you done yet, Yamanaka?"

Ino gulped. She turned slowly and forced a bright smile.

"Uh, Miyazono-sensei! I didn't know you were there!" she tried to laugh.

Mitsuki folded her arms and stared at her so intensely that Ino's eyes dropped to the floor.

"Yamanaka, I will be seeing you after school."

Ino's heart sank to the pit of her stomach. She had never gotten detention before!

"Yes, Miyazono-sensei..." she forced herself to say.

"And you, too, Nara."

"What? But I didn't do anything..."

Mitsuki stared him down until he sighed and mumbled, "Fine, fine...how troublesome..."

As if nothing happened, Mitsuki faced the entire class calmly. "Today, we will be making pancakes filled with sweet beans..."

Ino couldn't concentrate on what Mitsuki was saying. All she could think about was...

_I hate Shikamaru. _

Of course, Ino and Shikamaru were paired up together. But now, Ino couldn't even bring herself to look at him. She didn't even speak to him, not even to criticize what he was doing. Shikamaru found that this was a relief, but after a while, it got depressing. He almost wished that Ino was back to her grouchy self again.

When class was over, he looked at Ino and considered saying sorry, even though it was her fault they were in this mess. But when she noticed that he was looking at her, she turned away quickly and ran out of the room without looking back.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---After School---+**_

"Ah, Nara, Yamanaka. Sit down." Mitsuki didn't smile.

They both took a seat. Mitsuki stared them down again, nudging her glasses with her thumb.

"You do both know why you're here, right?"

"Because she was acting like a complete lunatic over nothing..." Shikamaru mumbled.

"Because he is a cookie-stealing thief," Ino grumbled at the same time. They both glared at each other and looked away with a _hmph_.

Mitsuki sighed heavily. "All this over cookies? I can't understand you two. You two always fight over the smallest things."

They didn't respond.

"I was considering giving you two detention for disrupting my class, _but_," she added, noticing the way Ino's face fell, "I decided not to do that."

"Really?!" Ino said hopefully.

"Yes, but you're still getting punished."

Ino's face fell again.

"I've noticed that you two don't work so well together," Mitsuki continued. "It's been weeks and you _still _can't work together without biting each other's head off. Care to tell me why?"

"Shikamaru can't cook at all," Ino said irritatedly, not caring that she sounded rude to her teacher. "It's really annoying because I feel like he's always bringing me down."

"I _would _try to do better if she stopped being so bossy," Shikamaru spoke up.

"I am _not _bossy!" Ino said shrilly. "It's your fault that you can't cook for your own life so I have to take control to get everything right!"

"Maybe if you stopped being so pushy, I would - "

"I am _not _pushy, you - !"

"Yamanaka, Nara, I asked for a straight forward answer, not another argument!" Mitsuki let out another sigh and rubbed her temple, as if they were giving her a headache. "Okay, I've decided your punishment. You two are going to stay after school _every single day _until you both get along."

"What?? But, Miyazono-sensei - !" Ino tried to protest.

"No buts," Mitsuki cut in sharply. "You _are _right, Yamanaka, I give you that. Nara lacks good cooking skills, so after school, you can help him improve his cooking skills. And Nara, if you learn how to cook, Yamanaka will stop bothering you."

"But..." Ino bit her lip furiously, trying to think of something to convince her teacher that this was a horrible idea. A light bulb clicked in her head. "But Miyazono-sensei, I have after school club meetings. So I can't come after school!" Ino congratulated herself for being so smart. Surely Mitsuki would change her mind!

"Every day?" Mitsuki said calmly, crossing her arms.

"Uh...no," Ino was forced to admit, her hope deflating like a balloon.

"So, then, on the days you don't have club meetings, you'll come straight here to this room and work with Shikamaru on a small cooking project."

Ino groaned inwardly. She didn't want to see Shikamaru more than she had to!

"Miyazono-sensei, please - !" Ino begged.

"I'm sorry, Yamanaka, but it's for your own good." Mitsuki gazed at her sympathetically, but her voice was firm.

"Why should I come in here for some stupid cooking lessons?" Shikamaru spoke up, exasperated.

Ino was almost relieved that he had said that. If Shikamaru wouldn't come in, she wouldn't have to, either! Surely Mitsuki wouldn't go through the trouble of forcing him to go!

Mitsuki seemed prepared for this, though. "I hear your parents are very strict about you getting a 5.0 GPA, isn't that right, Nara?'' Mitsuki said nonchalantly. "I wonder what they would say if your GPA were to drop...''

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed with irritation.

"...Fine." Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Am I excused now?"

"You're both excused." Mitsuki glanced at Ino. "Your ikebana club meetings are on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, right?" Without waiting for an answer, she went on, "I'll be seeing you both on Sunday. Good day to you two."

**xXxXxXx**

"Ino! What kept you?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Miyazono-sensei wanted to talk to Ino after school," Sakura explained. Ino had told her that during the last class of the day. "What did she talk to you about?"

Ino sighed. "...Don't wanna talk about it."

Ino looked so sad that Sakura patted her on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Ino-chan!" she tried to comfort her. "Hey, I have an idea! Let's go to that cake shop! Wanna go, guys?"

Tenten flushed and didn't say anything, but Ino's eyes lit up slightly. "Okay!" she said, sounding a bit happier.

"I'll tag along..." Hinata spoke up timidly.

"Great! Let's go!"

**xXxXxXx **

"I hope Sasuke-kun waits on us," Sakura giggled. "Does my hair look okay, guys?"

"Eh?" Tenten and Hinata were shocked.

"You didn't know? Sasuke-kun works here on Fridays and Sundays!" Ino informed them eagerly.

Tenten remembered the conversation the two teenage girls had the other day. "Oh, that's great," she grinned. "Maybe he'll give us a discount."

"So does my hair look okay?" Sakura insisted.

"It looks great," Tenten said airily, but she was looking at the menu.

"You didn't even _look _at it!" Sakura said shrilly.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan...your hair looks fine!" Hinata smiled.

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Tenten said, looking up from her menu. "Did you guys know that I invited Sasuke to come with us to the movies?"

Hinata almost fell over from shock. _Sasuke_, of all people, _going out _to see a movie?! It was like...Sakura or Ino had become man-haters.

"He is??!" Sakura and Ino exclaimed in unison.

"Uh, well, I'm not _entirely _sure," Tenten grinned sheepishly, fidgeting. "He said no at first, but I begged him so much that he finally gave in and said 'I'll think about it.' "

"Hm." Hinata was surprised. She had a feeling Sasuke had a strange sort of respect for Tenten, so that was why he agreed to "think about it." Was it because Tenten wasn't a fangirl? Or was it because she wasn't like most girls? She was stronger than most and could stand up for herself when she needed to, so Hinata could understand why Sasuke respected her.

"Oh, there he is now!" Tenten waved at Sasuke, who had just set down a tray of mugs at a table near them. "_Sasuuuuke!_ Over here!"

He turned at the sound of her voice, looking a little annoyed, but he walked over to their table. Hinata had never seen him in any other outfit other than the school uniform, so it was weird seeing him in a waiter's uniform with a nametag pinned to his chest.

"What do you want to order?" he said dully.

"I'd like a strawberry sponge cake, please!" Sakura piped up happily, her face in her hands as she gazed dreamily at him.

"Filling or toppings?" Sasuke didn't look the least bit fazed that Ino and Sakura were staring hungrily at him, as if they were wolves circling around a pig.

"Chocolate filling and kiwi toppings!"

"I'd like the vanilla custard cake," Ino chimed in, "and a mango-flavored smoothie!"

"Sage French cake for me, please," Tenten smiled, "and a peach-flavored smoothie!"

Sasuke wrote everything down and looked at Hinata. "And you, Hyuuga?" he waited.

"N-no, it's okay, I'm not buying anything."

"Aw, come on, Hinata-chan! The cakes here are to die for!" Tenten urged.

"I know, but I don't have any money with me...again..." Hinata blushed.

"Don't worry, I'll pay for you. Sweet bean -filled pastries on me, Sasuke-kun!" Tenten declared.

Hinata bit her lip. She didn't like it when others had to pay for her, but she knew that her protests would be futile.

Sasuke wrote it down and said, "We'll have it out for you in a few minutes."

When he left, Tenten nudged Hinata.

"What?" Hinata looked at her.

"Do you notice that Sasuke addresses you by your last name?" Tenten grinned widely. "And he looked at you before!"

"What are you trying to say?!" Sakura made a face at Tenten.

To avoid any conflict, Hinata spoke up timidly, "He only looked at me because I didn't order instantly like everyone else."

"Of course! Why else would he look at her, Tenten?" Ino sighed.

"That doesn't explain why he addresses her by her last name," Tenten insisted.

"Your point?" Sakura looked annoyed.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Hinata cut in casually, trying to change the topic, "is strawberry sponge cake good? I've never tried it before."

Sakura's mood changed instantly. "Yup! It's _really _good! You should try it sometime!"

"Maybe I will," Hinata smiled.

Sasuke came to their table with their orders. Sakura and Ino thanked him dramatically, as if he had just proposed to them, while Tenten shook her head.

"Oh, by the way, you're coming to the movies with us, right?" Tenten asked.

"Oh, _are _you?" Sakura smiled her best smile at him.

Sasuke shrugged.

_That is _not_ the answer I was hoping for! _Tenten sighed. She knew Ino and Sakura were thinking the same thing.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment. "I usually don't like going to the movies," he said finally. "It's too loud and crowded and troublesome. _But_," he said quickly, sensing that Tenten wanted to interrupt, "that movie _did_ look interesting."

"Sooooo?" Tenten waited impatiently.

"So, I guess so."

"YAY!" Tenten looked as if she won the lottery. Sasuke looked a bit disturbed by this. "Sorry, but Sakura and Ino are coming, too. You won't mind, will you?" Tenten seemed awfully worried and anxious, as if she believed that he would change his mind.

"Hey!" Ino and Sakura said at the same time. "What are you implying??"

"It's no big deal." Sasuke shrugged. He had gotten used to them already.

Ino and Sakura cast smug smiles at Tenten, but she ignored them.

"Which movie are you watching, anyway - Reflection or Trust and Betrayal?"

"Trust and Betrayal, I guess."

Ino and Sakura were deeply disappointed, everyone could tell.

"Oh, so you're watching it with us?" Tenten smiled.

"Guess so." Sasuke glanced over to a table that had just been taken by new customers. "I have to go wait on some other people. Later."

"Okie dokie," Tenten waved as he left. "This'll be great, won't it? Sasuke and all of us together at the movies!"

"Yup!" Sakura and Ino agreed between bites of their cakes.

"Yeah," Hinata smiled. The more the merrier, she guessed.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+ ---- Tenten's Apartment ---+ **_

"Mom, I'm home!" Tenten called out.

"Yes, sweetie?" her mom called back from the restroom. The door was open, so Tenten guessed that she wasn't using the restroom. She looked in and her eyes widened. Her mother was patting her hair and looking in the mirror!

"Uh, Mom, what are you doing?"

"I'm gonna go out, sweetie."

"Where?"

"Oh, somewhere," Chao said dreamily. Tenten watched, surprised, as Chao sprayed some perfume on herself. Her mother _never _bothered with those petty things. "I'm sorry I won't be eating dinner with you today, sweetheart. Dinner's in the refrigerator, so when you're hungry, just heat it up."

"Oh...okay."

When Chao finished putting on lipstick, she pursed her lips at the mirror and then turned to smile at Tenten. "So, how was school?"

_Ring! Ring! _

"Oh, dear!" Chao was startled by the ringing of the voice.

"Don't worry, I'll get it!" Tenten got to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

_"Oh, is that you, Tenten-chan?" _

Tenten felt her heart skip a beat. "K-Kirishima-san?"

_"I thought so. Are you well?" _

"Uh, I guess so..." But what she was _really _thinking was, _WHY THE HECK ARE YOU CALLING?! _

_"That's good. May I speak with your mother, please?" _

"Um, uh..." Tenten didn't want her mother talking with him.

_"Is she home?" _

"Tenten? Is it Ryou?" Tenten heard her mother call from the restroom.

_Crap. _

Tenten faked some static noise. "Um, what did you say, Kirishima-san - _SHHHKKKK, _I can't hear you _SHKKKK_, I think I should hang up now, okay _SHKKK_."

_"Tenten-chan, is something wrong with the phone?" _

"_SHKKK, _huh, what was that _SHKKK, _sorry, I think I'll hang up now, so _SHKKK _bye!"

_THWACK. _

"Ouch!"

"Tenten!" Chao was staring suspiciously at her daughter. "Just _what _do you think you're doing?"

Tenten gulped. "Uh, well, I was - uh, just fooling around..." she tried to grin.

Chao snatched the phone from her and held it to her ear. "Hello? Oh, Ryou-kun! I'm very sorry for what happened before - I don't know what got into her - what? Oh, Ryou-kun...don't embarrass me like that!" Chao blushed. "Anyway, I'm sorry I'm late - I'll be there in a few minutes, okay? Okay, bye, Ryou!"

_Click._

"Next time, Tenten, if you do anything rude like that again," her mother warned with a sigh, "you're grounded."

"What??" Tenten was shocked. "Since when did you ground me for little things like that?"

Actually, her mother _never _grounded her at all. She was the type who didn't believe in grounding children.

"You were completely rude to him and you embarrassed me!" Chao insisted. "Please don't do anything like that again."

Tenten opened her mouth to protest, but she swallowed her words at the disappointed look on Chao's face.

"Sorry, Mom. I won't do it again."

Chao smiled. "Okay, that's good. Bye, honey!" Chao leaned down to kiss Tenten on the cheek.

"Mom!" Tenten warned. "You have lipstick on!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Chao smiled sheepishly and patted Tenten on the head instead. "I'll come home after seven, okay?"

_That late? _"Oh, okay," Tenten tried to sound casual. She smiled weakly, but when her mother left, her smile turned into a scowl. So her mother was going out on a date with Ryou? No, it couldn't be - it was probably some sort of party...but no matter how fancy the party, Chao _never _used make-up or perfume...

Tenten bit her lip and her eyes narrowed. There was _no way _she was going to let Chao spend any more time with that Ryou guy...even if it meant doing something dreadful, she would. There was no way some guy was going to get between her mother and she.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- At the Hyuuga mansion --- + **_

"Father, I'll be going to the library tomorrow to check out some books for school," Hanabi announced over a dinner of fried rice, vegetables, and teriyaki. "Is that all right?"

"Fine."

Hanabi looked over Hinata, which was the cue for her to speak up. "Father, I'll be going to the library, too, if that's all right," Hinata said timidly.

Hiashi put some rice in his mouth and chewed, not answering her. Hinata waited patiently.

"Do what you like," he said flatly after swallowing.

"Thank you, Father," Hinata tried to smile. She wondered why she even bothered to tell him when he didn't really care at all.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+----- The next day-----+ **_

"Have fun, onee-chan," Hanabi smiled at her sister.

"Thanks, Hanabi-chan," Hinata smiled back. She walked to the theaters, which wasn't really far. Tenten and Sasuke were there already, including -

"N-Naruto-kun??" Hinata was shocked to see him standing there with the others. "What are you doing here?"

"Miharu couldn't come," Tenten explained, "so I gave the ticket to Naruto."

"The movie is gonna be a blast!" Naruto smiled.

Hinata smiled weakly. "That's great," she said. She wasn't really sure if she was speaking the truth, and she hated herself for it.

"Anyway, here's your ticket," Tenten handed a ticket to her. "You're watching Trust and Betrayal with me and Sasuke in about ten minutes. Naruto, Ino, and Sakura are watching the other one in twenty minutes."

"Okay." Hinata was half sorry that she wouldn't watch the same movie with Naruto, and half relieved as well.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- Trust and Betrayal ----+ **_

_"Sh-Shinta...you must live on...Live...!" _

_**SLASH. **_

Hinata planted her hands over her eyes, but she had already seen what had happened. A bandit had just stabbed a young woman right through her neck. Hinata wasn't sure why she agreed to see _this _movie. This was bloody and violent! Not her kind of movie.

Not to mention that it was _super _loud and she couldn't block out the screams of agony and slashes of the swords even if she covered her ears.

She was sorry she hadn't gone to see Reflection with the others. Ino and Sakura had told her it probably wouldn't be as violent.

"It's not _that _bad," Sasuke mumbled, who was sitting next to her. "The blood looks fake, so it's not really scary."

"Yes, it is," Hinata sniffed. He was a guy, so he couldn't understand.

_"AGHHH!" _

More blood splashed across the huge screen and Hinata squeaked, shading her eyes from view again. Sasuke just sighed.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- Reflection ----+ **_

"Hurry up, you stupid commercials!" Naruto sighed, glaring irritatedly at the blaring screen.

"Yelling at it won't help much!" Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "And why are you sitting next to _me_, anyway?"

"Uh, there were no other seats?"

"Moron, there's _plenty _of other seats!" Sakura yelled, gesturing to the numerous empty seats surrounding them.

"Shhhh!" several people glared at her. Sakura turned bright red, but she mumbled an apology and sank in her seat.

"Yeah, shhh, I'm trying to listen to the commercials," Ino joked.

"Whatever," Sakura mumbled.

"Hey, I have to go to the bathroom, okay? Save my seat." Ino got up, walked down the aisle, and left the room.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, want some popcorn?" Naruto offered her his large tub of buttered popcorn.

"Yuck! It's butter popcorn!" Sakura made a face. Seeing the shiny grease on the popcorn made her stomach twist. How could anyone eat so much of that fattening stuff, anyway?

"What's wrong with butter popcorn?" Naruto looked hurt.

"Butter is fattening, and I can't afford to get any more fatter than I already am!"

Naruto blinked and stared at her like she had just arrived from Jupiter. "But, Sakura-chan, you're already skinny," he said slowly.

"No, I'm not! I'm not skinny enough!" Sakura turned away sheepishly, feeling embarrassed.

"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan? You're perfect the way you are!"

Sakura found her face heating up, but she didn't think it was from anger. "Sh-shut up," she mumbled. "What do you know, anyway?"

There was silence, which was disrupted by the soft growl of her empty stomach. Sakura pressed her hand over her stomach to muffle the noise. She had only eaten an apple and a croissant for breakfast. She couldn't afford to eat more than that. Otherwise, she'd feel sick with herself for eating more than she should.

"I know that you shouldn't worry about how skinny you are," he said seriously, "when you're already perfect the way you are."

_Wh-wha? _Sakura turned to stare at him, only to find a perfectly serious expression on his slightly tanned face, and a warm smile upon his lips. _He...seems like he really means it. _Sakura's eyes softened. _Naruto..._

She could feel herself blushing, but she quickly turned away and forced her expression into an dark scowl.

"Spare me your flattery, Naruto." She was back to her _I-find-Naruto-positively-annoying _attitude.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- Trust and Betrayal ----+ **_

"To..."

A very pretty woman flashed across the screen, a small smile on her snow-touched face -

"To...mo..." the defeated man choked out, tears sliding down his cheeks -

_SLASH. _

A sword had crashed down the back of his neck!

Hinata knew that was coming, but she found herself yelping softly and clutching the closest thing next to her because the sound of the sword stabbing through his flesh had been so loud.

"...I'd prefer it if you didn't disturb me while I'm watching the movie," came Sasuke's low voice, both annoyed and amused at once.

_Oops! _Hinata could feel her face grow red. "S-sorry!" she apologized, letting go of his arm. She reluctantly turned back to the screen and pity aroused in her heart at the sight of the dead man.

She remembered that Tenten had said that Tomoelooked better with Kenshin than this other girl named Kaoru. She thought it was weird and ironic that Tomoe would fall in love with the man who killed her fiancée.

Even though a lot of the scenes were pretty bloody, Hinata was a bit interested in where this movie was heading.

**xXxXxXx**

_**+----- An hour and a half or so later -----+**_

_"I...I'm so sorry, my darling," Tomoe smiled sadly, her deep chocolate eyes full of remorse. Her hand fell limp, and her eyes closed. Kenshin shut his eyes as well, and held her close, shaking slightly with grief. _

Hot and moist tears welled up in her eyes. _That's...so...sad..._

She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater, but as soon as she looked back at the screen, fresh tears streamed down her face. She didn't feel embarrassed because she heard other people crying as well.

"You're pretty emotional, aren't you?" Sasuke gazed at her curiously.

Hinata smiled weakly. "Yeah. It's so sad!"

_"I'll have to live with my broken heart..." Kenshin's head was bowed sadly and respectfully over the lifeless body of his wife. _

More tears came out. "Ohh...I don't think I can stand watching this anymore!" Hinata sniffled. It was such a good movie, but it was so sad...!

Sasuke reached into his pocket and handed her a handkerchief. Hinata blinked in surprise, but she smiled and accepted it gratefully.

"Thanks."

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- Reflection ----+ **_

"Oh, my god...that's so sad...!" Sakura was crying. Kenshin had just died in Kaoru's arms, and to top it off, it was playing such beautiful and sorrowful music!

"Not really," Naruto said awkwardly. He didn't have a tissue to offer her, and it was weird watching her cry like that.

For once, Sakura didn't hit him. Everyone watched as the scene shifted to a young man resembling Kenshin and a young lady resembling Kaoru walked onto a bridge, surrounded by falling cherry blossom petals.

The credits rolled onto the screen. There was a slight commotion as everyone got up and started to leave the room, sniffling and dabbing at their eyes and chattering about how great the movie was.

"That was such a beautiful movie!" Sakura sighed.

"Totally," Ino agreed. Her face, too, was tear-streaked.

Sakura smiled wistfully. "Kenshin's such a devoted boyfriend," she said. "I wish I had a boyfriend like him."

Naruto glanced at her, and instantly, he knew what she was thinking at the moment. He ducked his head in an attempt to hide his envy.

**xXxXxXx**

All of the friends met up outside the theaters. Each girl, except Tenten, was crying.

"Gah, the movie was so sad!" Ino wiped her eyes.

"I can't believe it...they died in each other's arms...so sad...but at least they're in heaven together!" Sakura smiled wistfully.

"Ew." Tenten made a face. "Kaoru and Kenshin make such a bad couple."

"Nuh-uh!" Sakura was offended.

"Well, whatever," Tenten shrugged. "Trust and Betrayal was good, but it made me tear up. I can't believe that the producers of _Samurai X _made Tomoe kick the bucket like that so Kenshin could hook up with Kaoru!"

"Tomoe's...weird," Sakura shrugged. "I don't like her that much, and she doesn't really look good with Kenshin. They're such a serious couple. But Kaoru and Kenshin are a really funny _and _romantic couple! That's what I love about them."

"Ditto," Ino piped up.

"Ew." Tenten crossed her arms over her chest. "What did _you _think, Hinata?"

"Uhh..." Hinata wiped her eyes. "The movie was good."

"Do you like Tomoe and Kenshin together?" Tenten pressed. It was obvious she wanted her to agree that Tomoe and Kenshin made a good couple. But Hinata didn't need any urging. She really liked that couple. It was so in-depth, tragic, and beautiful...

She was a sucker for that stuff.

"Yeah," Hinata admitted, to which Tenten grinned triumphantly and the two other girls pursed their lips. "Oh..." Hinata handed Sasuke back his handkerchief. "Thanks."

Sasuke pocketed the handkerchief under the wide eyes of Sakura and Ino.

"Hey, wanna go grab a bite to eat?" Naruto suggested. "I'm starving."

"Me, too!" Tenten agreed. "There's a fast food shop near here. Let's go!"

**xXxXxXx**

"What would you like to order?"

The group had decided that they wouldn't go up one by one, but instead, they would just order all at once and then chip in for the total.

"Sushi, please," Sakura smiled at the cashier guy, who flushed under her direct gaze, "and a large-sized M & M McFlurry."

"Me, too," Ino chimed in. "Except I want Oreos instead of M & M's in my McFlurry."

"Okay," the cashier punched in a couple of numbers.

"Do you guys serve ramen?" Naruto asked.

"No, sorry."

"Darn. In that case, I'll have sushi, too, and Pepsi."

"Teriyaki for me, please," Tenten said, "and Coke."

"Yakitori," Sasuke said in a monotone.

The cashier punched in some numbers and glanced at Hinata. "Are you ordering too, miss?" he asked politely.

She blushed at his politeness. "N-no, I'm just here with them," she smiled. She had only brought enough money to buy the ticket and pay back Tenten for the pastries she bought her yesterday.

"Okay. The total is 1450 yen. Your order will be ready in a minute."

The group took a table and waited for their order. When it finally arrived, everyone dug into their food eagerly. Hinata simply sat and waited for them to finish.

"You aren't hungry?" Sasuke looked at Hinata curiously, chewing the chicken delicately.

"Um, not really." Just then, a soft growl came from Hinata's stomach. She blushed. "Well, maybe a little." She had only eaten some pastries and drank a glass of milk in the morning.

Sasuke nudged his bag of yakitori over to her.

"Hm?" Hinata blinked.

"Eat some. I can't eat them all anyway."

The mouths of Sakura and Ino hung open slightly in shock as they watched Hinata smile, blush, and thank him quietly before helping herself to some of the chicken.

"Don't open your mouths like that! It's gross," Tenten joked.

They both stuck out their tongues at her.

"That's even grosser." Their tongues had bits of rice all over the place. "Hey, guys, wanna go hang out somewhere for a while?" Tenten suggested.

"Sure! What did you have in mind?" Naruto said eagerly.

"You mean like shopping?" Ino suggested. "I think I'm running out of clothes."

Tenten rolled her eyes. It was hard to believe that. She was sure Ino had at least ten wardrobes. "No. I mean like something we could _all _enjoy."

"What's _wrong _with shopping?" Sakura seemed offended.

Tenten rolled her eyes again. There _were _two guys here. What did Ino and Sakura expect them to do while they went shopping, carry their bags for them?

"I was thinking we should go to the arcade! It's nearby, anyway," Tenten went on, ignoring the faces that Sakura and Ino made. "You know, the arcade in that mall. So if you want," she addressed Sakura and Ino, "you guys can go shopping and me, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata can go to the arcade."

"Hey, sweet! I love the arcade!" Naruto exclaimed.

"So what do you think, Sasuke?" Tenten said hopefully.

He shrugged. "I guess I have time to kill, so I'll stick around for a little longer," he mumbled.

"Now that I think about it, I don't need any more clothes...for now. So I'll hang out with you guys at the arcade, too!" Ino grinned.

"Yeah, me, too!" Sakura agreed. Tenten rolled her eyes yet again, knowing the girls only changed their mind because they wanted to be with Sasuke.

"What is there to do in an arcade?" Hinata spoke up timidly, biting into her chicken.

"Play games, mostly." Tenten smiled. She liked games.

"Like what?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Um, depends. But I really want to have a go at DDR!"

"Oh, DDR! I love DDR!" Sakura spoke up excitedly.

"Me, too!" Ino chimed in.

Naruto frowned. "DDR?" he repeated in confusion. He didn't remember seeing a DDR in an arcade.

"Dance Dance Revolution," Tenten explained.

He frowned even more. "That sounds girly. I don't think I want to play it."

"It is not!" Sakura glared at him, offended that he insulted one of her most favorite games. "Girls _and _guys can dance. And only sexy and dreamy guys dance."

"Totally! Girls like that in a man," Ino agreed.

Naruto thought for a while. "You know what?" he said brightly. "I think I'll have a go, too."

Sakura rolled her eyes. _Figures. _

"How do you play DDR?" Hinata asked, puzzled. She had never gone to an arcade before, much less play any games.

"You'll find out," Tenten assured, throwing her empty bag away. "Hey, guys, hurry up! We're not getting any younger here!"

**xXxXxXx**

_**+ ---- At the Arcade ----+**_

"Ta-dah! _This _is the arcade, Hinata-chan!" Tenten beamed at Hinata, who peeked nervously into the large room. There was many machines that had blaring screens, and the sounds of guns shooting, swords slicing through air, laughter from girls and guys, and death cries of game characters rang noisily.

"It's...crowded." Hinata gulped.

"Well, what'd you expect? Everybody loves the arcade," Tenten said as-a-matter-of-factly. She walked over to a machine that wasn't used yet. On the right side of the machine it said **Tekken 4 **and had a picture of a young man wearing a jacket with a hood that concealed a lot of his face. Funny, he looked kind of like Sasuke, Hinata thought. "The DDR place is too crowded," Tenten sighed, "so I'll wait for a while before going over there."

She popped in a coin into a slot and a loud noise erupted from the machine. Hinata watched as Tenten moved the controller stick until the cursor on the screen landed on the face of a young Chinese girl of about 18 years. Tenten slapped her hand down on a red button.

"Xiaoyu Ling," the male voice rang out.

"Huh. That girl looks like you," Sakura commented, who was watching her as well.

"She's cute," Ino commented, "but she looks young."

"She's older than us, y'know," Tenten informed.

"Seriously?? Gosh, I feel young!" Sakura shook her head. They watched as Tenten bashed buttons to make Ling Xiaoyu perform a bunch of martial arts move on the opponent, who was a big panda bear named (ironically) Panda.

Panda gave an inhuman death cry as her health bar reached zero.

"Xiaoyu Ling wins!"

"Hey, you're good at this," Naruto said admiringly. "Can I go against you when you lose?"

"Nah, let's just play now. Put in a coin and we can go against each other."

"Okay!" Naruto put in a coin and the screen lit up brightly as the words NEW CHALLENGER flashed across it in big, bold letters. Tenten chose Ling Xiaoyu again, but Naruto chose a dark-skinned guy who must have been at least 6 and a half feet tall.

"Marduk Craig," the male voice blared.

"Go Tenten!" Ino and Sakura cheered.

"Hey! How come no one's cheering for me?" Naruto joked, pretended to sound offended. Hinata didn't know who to cheer for, so she smiled weakly and mumbled some encouragement to both of them. Sasuke just crossed his arms and watched.

It was a tough match for the two of them, and sweat dripped down their faces as they bashed buttons repeatedly. In the end, Xiaoyu dodged Marduk's kick and hit him smartly, which chopped off his remaining life.

''Noooo!" Naruto moaned.

"Yeah, haha, I beat you!" Tenten, sweaty and all, grinned triumphantly at the defeated blonde.

"You got beaten by a _girl_, Naruto. You should be ashamed of yourself," Sasuke said smugly.

"Shaddup, Sasuke-teme. Let's see _you _do any better."

"_Fine_, I _will_." Everyone watched, shocked, as Sasuke put in a coin and gave Tenten a challenging smirk.

"Let's do this, eh?"

Tenten regained her composure. "You're on."

Tenten chose Ling Xiaoyu again, but Sasuke chose the young man that looked like him.

"Kazama Jin."

"Eeee, go Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and Ino cheered.

"Hey, whose side are you on?" Tenten was annoyed.

"Uh, go Tenten?" Naruto shrugged, not wanting to cheer for Sasuke.

"Round one...FIGHT!"

It was a fierce match. After a while, they were down to their last bit of health. In the end, Sasuke won. Tenten groaned.

"DANGIT!" she wailed. "I-I _almost _won!"

"Yes, you _almost _did," Sasuke said smugly. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Conceited jerk," she said, but a little smile told everyone that she was joking. "Hey, wanna have a go at Soul Calibur?"

"Just because you lost to me at Tekken?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Tenten stuck out her tongue at him. The machine labeled **Soul Calibur 2 **stood right next to Tekken. The two inserted a coin in the slot and chose their characters.

"Silence!" Tenten's character, Taki, a Japanese ninja with long, dark hair, hissed.

"I got you!" Sasuke's character, Kilik, a Korean man with medium-length, brown hair, cried out.

"Oh, wow, I like Kilik, too!" Tenten smiled. "He's hot." _Of course, not as much as Neji, but heck, who cares? I ADORE his hair. _

Ino and Sakura wrinkled their noses. "Not particularly," Sakura sniffed.

"Ditto," Ino agreed. It was clear they were thinking, _Sasuke-kun's SO much hotter. _

"No one asked for your opinions," Tenten joked. Everyone watched as Taki and Kilik started kicking and whacking each other with their weapons. Tenten's eyes lit up as she backed Kilik right at the edge of the ring. Kilik was sidestepping, but Tenten used a command that made Taki bend down and slice her weapon at Kilik's knees, causing him to fall backwards - into the depths of the outside of the ring.

"...Damn. Didn't see that coming." Sasuke was irritated.

"Whooo-hooo, she kicked your butt big time, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto laughed.

"...Shut up. _You _lost to her, too, if I recall."

"...W-well, that's because - " Naruto tried to protest.

"How could you kill off Sasuke's character like that, Tenten?" Sakura wailed.

"Yeah, that was totally mean." Ino sniffled.

Tenten rolled her eyes. Yeesh, since when did they care for Kilik at all??

Sasuke won Round 2, though, to the delight of Sakura and Ino and to the major disappointment of Naruto. It was a sudden death match now.

"Gyah, Tenten, get away from the edge of the ring!" Naruto yelped as Taki fell right at the edge of the ring.

"I'm - trying!" Tenten clenched her teeth as she tried to control her character to move away from the ring. Yet, for some reason, when Kilik performed a move that struck her in an upward direction, Taki bounced off the ring.

"Ehhhhhh??! NO WAY!" Tenten's jaw dropped open. "I-it's a glitch! That wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Why not?" Sasuke said with a heavy sigh.

"B-because...y-you can't knock someone out of the ring when they're on the ground!" Tenten cried out helplessly. "I-I demand a rematch!"

"Hey, Tenten, mind being a little considerate? This is getting a little boring," Sakura sighed.

"Yeah. All we're doing is watching you play games against the guys," Ino chimed in.

Tenten was about to shoot back a smart reply, but she noticed Hinata standing there looking totally isolated from everyone.

"Well, _fine. _In that case, why don't we all watch _Hinata-chan _play games against the guys?"

"Ehh?" Naruto, Sakura, and Ino cried out at the same time.

"Wh-what??" Hinata stared at Tenten, dumbfounded. "B-but I don't know how - "

''Just bash buttons. That's my advice to beginners," Tenten said hurriedly, pushing Hinata to the machine. She entered a coin into the slot and pressed a button. "Hey, Sasuke, go easy on her, will ya?" Tenten winked.

"Would it make a difference?" Sasuke sighed, inserting a coin in the slot. He quickly chose Yunsung, a Korean guy with brown hair.

"Nice try!" Yunsung smiled at the screen.

"Talk about hot," Sakura grinned.

"But of course, not as hot as you, Sasuke-kun!" Ino added eagerly.

"Of course!" Sakura nodded. Sasuke merely grunted in reply.

"Choose a character, Hinata-chan!" Tenten said eagerly. Hinata sighed heavily, but obediently moved her controller stick and hovered her cursor over random squares.

"I don't know who to choose."

"Then choose someone at random," Ino spoke up.

"Ew, but what if she gets somebody like..._this guy?_" Tenten reached over and hovered the cursor over a square. An image of an ugly, huge, and bulky monster popped up, making the girls (except Tenten, of course) cringe. He had pupil less eyes and a big, red object that was thumping over his chest - which, everyone figured out quickly in disgust, was his heart. Not to mention that he was wielding a HUU-UUUGE ax that looked especially sharp...

"Okay, don't choose random," Ino squeaked. "Just choose...some really pretty girl or an ultra hot guy."

"O-okay," Hinata shuddered. She finally decided that she liked the image of a teenage girl named Talim. Hinata liked her hairstyle - two braids hanging past her shoulders, as well as her large, attractive eyes. But...her outfit was so strange...and revealing! She wore puffy sleeves, baggy, multi-colored socks, white shorts, and a strapless top that showed a lot of her stomach.

"Change the outfit if you don't like it," Tenten sighed.

"How?"

Tenten pressed a button and in a second or so, Talim popped back onto the screen with a new costume. It looked really cute and bright, Hinata thought, pleased. She chose Talim eagerly. Talim twirled around on the screen and cried out, "How's this?"

"Pretty cute," Naruto commented. "Hey, does anyone know how old she is?"

WHAM. Sakura's fist met his head.

"Ouch!"

"For one, she's a FICTIONAL character!" Sakura gritted her teeth. "And two, she's too pretty for you. And three, she's probably more mature and older than you, and I don't think you go well with older and more sophisticated women."

To her surprise, Naruto grinned at her.

"Sakura-chan, you mean it?" he said hopefully, stars twinkling in his eyes.

"Huh?" Sakura deadpanned. "Of course I do, idiot!"

Naruto smiled dreamily. "I knew it all along!" he sang happily. "You secretly believe that I go better with girls like _you, _right, Sakura-chan?"

WHAM.

"WRONG!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto rubbed the bumps on his head with a grin. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan," he said happily. "You're still the only girl for me!"

_Still...the...only...girl...for...me..._

The words echoed in Hinata's mind. She let out a sad, little sigh without thinking. Sasuke was the only one who noticed. He glanced at her, but did nothing more.

Hinata tried to take off her mind by bashing the buttons randomly, as Tenten said. Meanwhile, Naruto and Tenten were shouting advice in her ear, and it made her head ache.

"No, don't attack thin air!"

"Use B to guard!"

"Get away from the edge of the ring!"

"Watch out, he might strike you out of the ring!"

Good grief, what was with all this fuss about games? Hinata sighed inwardly. But she had to admit, it was pretty fun being cheered on by her friends...even if she WAS losing pathetically.

"Aw, what did I tell you? You should have stayed away from the edge of the ring!" Tenten sighed after Yunsung struck Talim out of the ring.

Hinata flushed. "Sorry."

"It's okay, you're just a beginner." Tenten smiled.

"Yeah, when _I _was a beginner, I was twice as bad as you, Hinata-chan, so don't worry." Naruto grinned, rubbing his head sheepishly.

Hinata smiled weakly at the comforting words. Round 2 started. She managed to inflict a little damage on Sasuke's character, but he had easily knocked off at least half of her health already. Kilik did a horizontal move with his long stick that whacked Talim near the edge of the ring.

Hinata pushed two buttons randomly as soon as Kilik ran up to Talim to attack her - and to her surprise, Talim grabbed his leg and dragged him.

"All right, good work, Hinata-chan!" Tenten cheered. "He's gonna die now!"

"Really?" Hinata watched as Talim shouted, "Go - away!" and whacked Kilik twice, sending him flying out of the ring.

"Hmph." Sasuke's mouth twitched. Everyone could tell that his pride was injured.

"Wow, that was a shock! Hinata-chan won!" Sakura said.

"Hurray for bashing buttons!" Tenten joked.

"Who should be ashamed now, Sasuke?" Naruto jeered. ''You lost to a _girl _who's just a _beginner!_"

"...She was lucky," Sasuke deadpanned flatly.

"Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses..."

Round 3 started. Hinata lost, of course. But she _had _managed to win at least one game, so that made her feel a little bit better.

"Good game...for a beginner," Sasuke smirked. Hinata flushed.

"Hey, why don't you go against Naruto, Hinata?" Tenten suggested.

"No way! This is getting boring. Let's go play DDR," Sakura declared.

"Yeah, I feel like dancing!" Ino chimed in.

"Okay, okay, keep your shorts on, gals..." Tenten sighed.

**xXxXxXx**

Two teenage boys - apparently twins - were currently dancing, and cheers and squeals were erupting from the crowd surrounding him. Hinata watched, stunned, as their legs moved so rapidly that their arms were simply flapping at their sides. How could anyone dance like that??

The boys finally stopped, panting and grinning as they watched the screen blare. They both got B's. All the girls began to squeal.

"What's all the fuss?" Naruto frowned. "A B isn't _that _great."

"It _is_ when you're playing Heavy mode," Sakura informed him irritatedly.

"HA! I bet _I _could do better than both of them," Naruto boasted smartly.

The boys chose another song to dance to, but before the dance started, they took off their jackets, to the delight of the girls in the crowd. The girls all started screaming, and when the twins tossed their jackets into the crowd, the girls all tackled each other to grab either jacket.

"Yeeesh," Naruto sweatdropped. "What girls would do to get their hands on a guy's jacket..."

Hinata watched the screen in silent awe. Apparently, you had to step on the arrows on the dance pad according to the arrows that popped up on the screen. Your timing had to be right, too. It looked hard, but it looked kind of fun, too...

When the guys were done, they made a great show of walking off the dance pad and wiping the sweat off their faces in a "sexy way" that made all the girls squeal and sigh.

"My turn!" Tenten hopped instantly onto the pad while most of the crowd was distracted by the boys.

"Me, too!" Ino hopped on.

"I take on the loser!" Sakura called out.

"Standard or Heavy?'' Tenten asked.

"Heavy!" Ino grinned. They danced to a song called "Butterfly." Hushed whispers of "they're good" or "they're pretty cute" erupted from the crowd. They both got B's, but Tenten got just a little more bad marks (almosts and boos) than Ino did. Tenten got a higher C than Ino in the next song, but the last song Ino won with an A against a B. Tenten reluctantly hopped off the dance pad.

"My dance skills have gotten worse because I haven't practiced much," Tenten sighed.

Sakura jumped onto the dance pad. "My turn!" she said happily. She giggled, swishing her long, silky tresses. "This is gonna be so much fun!"

"Wow, she's cute," a guy mumbled to his friend.

"They're _both _cute," his friend whispered back. Several guys nodded in agreement.

"Yup, but the pink-haired one is my girlfriend!" Naruto informed them smugly. "So stay away from her or you'll be sorry."

"IDIOT, WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU TELLING THEM?" Sakura screeched at him. She was too far away to smack him, but the fire in her eyes made him laugh nervously and back away just in case she tried to jump him.

"Sakura! The song is starting!" Ino said.

"Right," Sakura clenched her teeth. Sakura and Ino started dancing to a song called "Let's Groove Tonight." Sakura defeated Ino narrowly. Sakura beat Ino in the next two games, too.

"Okay, who wants to go against her?" Ino called out with a heavy, defeated sigh, wiping her sweaty face as she stepped off the dance pad.

"Oh, I will!" Naruto waved his arm eagerly and went onto the dance pad. He changed his mode to Standard. Sakura, feeling obliged to have the same mode as him, changed her mode to Standard as well.

"Why am I going against _you_?" Sakura said irritatedly.

"Don't worry, babe, I'll go easy on you!" Naruto winked.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! _I'M _THE ONE WHO WILL BE GOING EASY ON YOU!" Sakura roared at him.

Naruto whistled innocently as he looked at the list of songs. "Hey, let's choose this one!" Naruto selected a song called "Listen to Your Heart" by DHT.

"Awwww, isn't that cute, Sakura?" Tenten called out. "You two are dancing to a love song together!"

"Shut up! The song doesn't have anything to do with us!" Sakura said angrily.

"It's okay, sweetie, you don't have to be shy!" Naruto winked at Sakura flirtatiously.

"SHY? SAY THAT AGAIN..._AFTER _I KNOCK OUT YOUR TEETH!" In her rage, she got boos on the first few arrows. Meanwhile, Naruto was dancing like a pro.

"You sure you're a beginner, Naruto?" Ino called out, sweatdropping. In the end, the two both got B's, but Naruto had higher marks.

"I...can't believe I lost to _him!_" Sakura mumbled in dread, walking off the pad.

"I should have gone easier on you, then, huh?" Naruto said worriedly.

"_Hmph._" Sakura turned away angrily.

"Hey, there's two more songs, y'know," Tenten informed Sakura smartly.

"Sorry, I don't feel like dancing anymore." Sakura shook her head, feeling utterly humiliated. Losing to _this _guy...in front of Sasuke and everyone else! She felt like sinking into the floor.

"Then I won't dance, either," Naruto said with a bit of remorse as he walked off the dance pad.

"Hey, why don't you two dance?" Tenten asked Sasuke and Hinata.

"I don't dance," Sasuke said stiffly.

"I don't know _how_ to dance," Hinata admitted timidly.

Naruto shoved Sasuke onto a pad, while Tenten pushed Hinata onto another one.

"Well, too bad!" they both said in unison, grinning.

Hinata flushed. Too...much...attention! she wailed inwardly, her face growing beet red. Everyone was cheering them on. She could feel herself sweating and suffocating - and it was only _partially _because there were too many bodies around here! She tried to block out all the noises and the staring eyes, but it was impossible...

"Dance! Dance! Dance!"

Sasuke finally seemed to give in, because he (rather irritatedly) selected a song at random. The song was "Everytime We Touch," a love song by an American singer named Cascada.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, you should have changed to Beginner Mode!" Ino yelled out.

"Wh-what??" Hinata said, panicking.

"Too late now," Sasuke said, amused. Hinata took a deep breath, trying to ignore the fact that at least thirty people were surrounding her, staring at her. She gazed at the screen timidly. There weren't that many arrows...

_"I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me_

_I still feel your touch in my dreams..." _

Right. Right. Right. Down. Left. Up.

Boo. Almost. Good. Good. Boo. Boo.

Hinata winced as the mocking words flashed across her side of the screen.

"Aw, isn't that cute? 'Everytime We Touch.' That's a really nice song for the two of you, ne?" Tenten giggled.

"It was random!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Yeah, _Tenten,_" Sakura made a face. "Give poor Sasuke-kun a break, will ya?"

"It's fate," Tenten went on dreamily, jokingly. Hinata sighed a bit. It was finally clear now that Tenten really thought she and Sasuke made a cute couple. She didn't get it. She and Sasuke were too different. How could they ever be a couple?

He was just a friend, anyway, right?

_"Forgive me my weakness but I don't know why _

_Without you it's hard to survive..." _

That's all he could ever be, right? Sasuke couldn't be anything more than a friend...

"It's only slow because it's the opening of the song," Sasuke told Hinata, who still had the _I-don't-think-this-mode-is-THAT-hard _look on her face. Hinata squeaked a little as she noticed the numerous arrows that were popping up on the screen now. _WHAAA...how am I going to dance this? _

Girls squealed as they watched Sasuke move gracefully and silently upon the arrows, scoring greats and perfects and only a few goods.

"Oh, my gosh, he's so hot!" a girl yelled to her friend.

"And he can _dance_!" her friend sighed happily. "Guys who can dance are _totally _sexy."

"I know. He's _my _boyfriend, though!" Sakura told them smugly.

"Forehead-chan, what nonsense are you telling them??!" Ino screeched.

"Hinata! Just try to get as many arrows as you can!" Tenten called out.

_How?? _Hinata wailed inwardly. She meekly tried to dance to some of them, but boos kept popping up on her screen. _This is so hard...I can't...I can't do it! _Hinata stood motionless, feeling mortified. Now she could feel everyone staring at her, staring and thinking, _What a loser! She can't dance!_

_I can't do it. _Hinata felt a lump grow in her throat. _I can't. _

"Don't give up just yet, Hyuuga," she heard Sasuke say over the loud shouts of the audience.

_Don't...give...up...yet..._

Hinata's eyes widened. _He's right. I...I can't just give up without trying. _

Hinata took in a deep breath and watched as the arrows left the screen. A few seconds later, more arrows popped up. Right. Up. Right and Left. Down. Down. Up. Up and Right. Right...

Great. Almost. Good. Good. Almost. Almost. Good. Perfect...!

"Go, Hinata-chan!" Tenten yelled happily.

Before Hinata could stop herself, a wide smile spread over her face. _I...I can do this!_

Several boos and almosts appeared on the screens, but she could see that she was getting some goods, greats, and perfects, too. When the song ended, Hinata felt herself panting, soaked in her own sweat.

Sasuke got an A, but Hinata got a D. Even so, Hinata couldn't stop smiling. It was actually fun!

"Can we try another song?" Hinata said, wiping her forehead.

"You mean you don't mind everyone staring?"

Hinata felt herself blush as she finally remembered that there was an audience. She had been having so much fun dancing that she hadn't given the audience much thought.

"...I think...I'll manage." Hinata gave him a shy smile.

"If you insist." Sasuke's lips twitched.

Hinata winced. "It's hot," she mumbled, tugging at her jacket wistfully. It felt like the end of a PE class with Maito Gai as your teacher. But she hated showing more skin than was necessary in public, so she always hid her body in baggy and long-sleeved clothes.

"So take off your jacket," Sasuke said nonchalantly.

"...But..." Hinata murmured under her breath.

"Just take it off," Sasuke said, more loudly this time because he was annoyed.

Upon hearing what he said, everyone stared at him with eyes as big as pancakes. _Eek! Why's everyone staring? _Hinata blushed, staring down at her shoes.

"And all this time I thought you were - " Naruto began, but Sakura stomped on his foot. "Ouch!"

"...Whoa. Sasuke, that was rather...straightforward!" Tenten spoke up, fighting back a suggestive smile.

"...Get your minds out of the gutter," Sasuke said darkly, casting a deadly glare at everyone. "I was talking about her jacket."

Silence...

"...Oooookayyyy..." the entire audience nodded meekly.

Sasuke picked a song at random called "Hikari - Remix" by Utada Hikaru. By this time, everyone was chattering again. For some reason, this made Hinata feel better. If they were talking, that meant that there were _some _people who weren't staring.

"Whoo-hoo, go Hinata-chan!" Tenten called out. Naruto put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Sakura and Ino laughed and clapped and cheered. Hinata couldn't help feeling more relaxed now that her friends were cheering for her. It was a bit embarrassing, but it was reassuring, too.

This time, Hinata did a lot better. In the end, she managed to get a C. Sasuke, of course, got an A, which did make her feel a little bad, but not that much. She _was _a beginner, after all.

"Wow, you did pretty good, Hinata-chan," Tenten smiled.

"Yeah, you did good for a beginner," Sakura added.

"Totally," Ino chimed in.

"Yup, yup!" Naruto grinned.

"Th-thanks." Hinata smiled back. At least...she had her friends' support all the way.

**xXxXxXxXx**

_**+----- An hour later -----+ **_

"Well, see ya, guys!" Tenten, Ino, and Sakura were getting picked up by their moms. Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke were going to take the bus home.

"Later," Naruto waved back.

"Bye..." Hinata smiled weakly.

"...Hn."

Hinata and the boys went on their way silently to the bus stop. When the bus came, they got on silently.

"...That was fun, wasn't it?" Naruto spoke up, trying to break the silence.

Hinata was about to agree, but Sasuke responded first. "...Hn."

"Don't act so unenthusiastic!" Naruto balked, a vein popping at his temple. "After all, _why'd _you come in the first place if you thought it'd be boring??!"

"I didn't say that."

"Well, you're sure _acting _like it!"

"Hmph."

Hinata giggled to herself and they both looked at her.

"Sorry...that was rude of me." Hinata blushed.

"S'okay," Naruto grinned. "Hey, you're pretty good for a beginner! You did good at DDR AND you kicked Sasuke's butt at Soul Calibur!" Naruto glanced at Sasuke and sniggered. "I can't believe you lost to her!"

"At least it's better than getting whacked on the head all the time for acting like such an idiot," Sasuke retorted.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Luckily, the announcement of the next bus stop put an end to their argument, although Naruto was glaring at the back of Sasuke's head as they made their way to the front and paid their fares to the driver.

"Hey, kids, you got anything special for your mothers?" she asked curiously.

They all froze, motionless. She stared at them like they were total idiots.

"Mother's Day is coming up, you know," she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"...Yeah, we know," Naruto spoke up finally, grinning weakly. The woman stared at them silently before shrugging and turning away. They went on their way without another word.

**xXxXxXx**

As soon as she entered her room, Hinata's gaze settled upon the portrait on the wall. It was the only picture that had her mother in it. In her family albums, there were no pictures of them, and she guessed that her mother had taken all the pictures. The only picture she had of her mother was blurry and unclear, but she still kept it. She didn't want to throw anything of her mother away.

She continued to stare at her mother's face. Her mother smiled back at her, her eyes closed in bliss. Hinata's eyes drifted to the calendar. Tomorrow was Mother's Day.

Hinata's heart ached. She had already experienced an empty and sad Mother's Day several times, but it still hurt each time the special day came by. To watch as other people gave gifts and hugs to their mother, while she could do nothing but wish she had a living mother to spend the special day with...

Hinata sighed sadly. Sasuke and Naruto didn't have mothers, either, she thought sympathetically. It was probably just as hard for them. She couldn't just feel sorry for herself like she was the only one without a mother.

She found herself smiling at her mother's face. "Mother, you'll never guess what happened...I went out with my friends today! I watched a movie and went to the arcades. It was so much fun! Aren't you glad for me, Mother? Today...today was a really happy day for me. I ... smiled a lot more than I usually do."

A tear slid down her face, but the smile remained. It was like her mother appeared before her and whispered something that she usually told her daughter...

_"If you're smiling, then I'll be smiling, too." _

**xXxXxXx**

_**+---- Saturday Morning ----+**_

_Ring! Ring! _

Hinata quickly shut off the alarm. She yawned tiredly, but forced her aching feet to move. When she walked past the door to Hanabi's room, she almost squeaked when the door opened.

"Why are you up so early?" Hanabi said curiously.

"I need to go somewhere." Hinata blushed. "You should go back to sleep."

"I was already awake, studying for a test today," Hanabi blinked.

"Uhh...then you should get back to studying!"

"...Okay." Hanabi closed the door and Hinata sighed a breath of relief. She walked down the stairs and went to the kitchen to eat a brief breakfast. Then she put on her jacket and went out the door.

**xXxXxXx**

"It's cold today," Hinata mumbled to herself. She clutched the bouquet in her hands and walked on. She entered the cemetery - but almost gasped when she realized that it wasn't empty! Somebody was kneeling at a grave, laying a bouquet of flowers at a grave. She jumped behind a nearby tree, not wanting to be seen by the person. She had wanted to come early in the morning because she thought no one would be here, but she guessed she was wrong.

She couldn't help but peek around to look at the person again - and she realized that it was Sasuke!

"Hey, Mom," she heard him murmur, "I brought you your favorite flowers. Forget-me-nots."

Hinata's eyes softened. _Uchiha-san..._

"...So, how's heaven? Pretty nice, huh? No trouble, no pain, nothing...but it'd be better if you were here, you know."

It was weird hearing Sasuke sound so remorseful. It was so different from the sarcastic and dull Sasuke. Perhaps he showed more emotion than he led others to believe...

"Anyways, Happy Mother's Day...and send my regards to Dad, will ya?" Sasuke gazed at the grave somberly, a sad smile upon his lips.

Her body was aching a bit from standing so rigidly, so she moved just a bit. It was a big mistake, for her foot crunched a couple of dead leaves.

_Eek! _Hinata flinched. _I hope he didn't hear that - _

"...Hey, I know you're there. Come out."

It was wishful thinking. Hinata sighed, but she came out obediently.

"Oh, it's you." Sasuke's expression was blank, and his voice was in a monotone now.

"...I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Hinata bit her lip. "I didn't mean to intrude on your privacy.."

"It's all right." Sasuke stood up. "I was just going to leave, anyway."

He walked right past her. Hinata looked at his retreating back. _You..seem afraid to show emotion, Uchiha-san. _Her eyes softened. _Why is that? _

Hinata walked to her mother's grave and set down the bouquet.

"...Hello, Mother." Hinata smiled. "You know what's strange? I just saw a different side of Uchiha-san that I never saw before. I...I used to think that he could show nothing but amusement and annoyance, but I guess I was wrong. He has a loving side, after all.

"Mother...do you think that someday Sasuke will open up and show that side more often?"

Silence responded, but she went on, anyway.

"I'd like it if that happened. He'd...he'd be much happier, I believe. And...I want him to be happy. I want the loneliness and the sadness in his heart to clear away. I...want him to smile. If he's smiling, I'll be smiling as well. And...you'll be smiling, too, won't you, Mother?"

The sounds of birds chirping rang in the air. Hinata stood up and smiled softly at her mother's grave.

"Happy Mother's Day."

**xXxXxXx**

A/N. I'm sorry that there's no LeeTen or ShikaIno in this chapter. I promise I'll try to squeeze some in the next chapter! xD

Yeah, and I know bringing in Ryou was a bit out of place...but I wanted to put more of Tenten's personal life in here and I just felt like adding in that rather cliché plot about some girl whose husband-less mother falls in love with this guy but the girl doesn't want another father...Yup, yup. XD Tenten's a minor character in the series, so I wanted to give her more spotlight.

I know I don't put much of Sakura in here, but...I don't really know what kind of personal life she would have. Same for Ino...but I'll try to figure something out for the two of them. XD And btw, I have NO IDEA about the whole grading system for the Japanese. I'm pretty sure it's 5.0 instead of 4.0, but...o-o -shrugs-

And the movies the gang watched belongs to the creator of Samurai X. o.o;; (Btw, I based Tenten's anti Kaoru/Kenshin and pro Tomoe/Kenshin feelings off myself...sorry if I offended any pro Kaoru/Kenshin fans out there x.x;; )

I was thinking of having a newcomer sometime later. She will kind of be a major plot because she is going to make friends with Hinata and something is going to happen so that Hinata will realize some things about life, friendship, and maybe love. I won't spoil it, though, but here are the characters that MIGHT be the newcomer: Tayuya, Kin, and Temari. So, yeah, I was just giving everyone the heads up so everyone won't be like "O.o?!" later. Lol. XD I'm not sure who to pick yet, so if you guys want, send in your suggestions about who the newcomer should be! (:


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